TL 

53/ 
C8 


THE  FLIGHT 

ACROSS  THE 

ATLANTIC  - 


The  Flight  Across 
the  Atlantic 


'  9  -  /  /  ? 


Issued  by  the  Department  of  Education 

Curtiss  Aeroplane  and  Motor  Corporation 

New  York  City 

1919 


V 


Copyright,  1919,  by  Curtiss  Aeroplane  and  Motor  Corporation,  New  York  City 


I — Arrival 


FAINT  but  penetrating 
hum  grew  in  the  sunset 
over  Lisbon.  It  was  an 
alien  sound  to  the  old 
city  beside  the  Tagus.  It 
seemed  to  have  no  loca- 
tion, but  to  diffuse  itself 
through  the  sky,  growing  in  volume  and 
intensity. 

Suddenly  with  a  jet  of  steam  the  U.  S.  S. 
Shawniut  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Rochester  sent  a 
shrilling  answer. 

"There  she  is!"  came  a  voice,  cutting 
the  great  spaces  like  a  thin  ray  of  light. 
Sirens,  guns  of  Forts  San  Julian  and 
Bugio,  cannon  of  Portuguese  warships, 
and  the  shouts  of  innumerable  men  on 
land  and  water  echoed  from  wall  to  wall 
of  the  natural  amphitheatre.  A  silhouette 
became  visible  against  rosy  banners  of 
cloud.  It  gathered  definite  shape,  the  noise 
oi  its  motors  became  loud  and  thunder- 
ing. With  a  gleam  of  wings  the  NC-4, 
completing  the  first  flight  ever  made  by 
men  across  the  Atlantic  ocean,  dove  in  a 
wide  spiral  toward  the  river  and  came  to 
rest  upon  it  as  lightly  as  the  vessel  of  a 
dream. 

There  was  a  moment's  pause. 
Lisbon,  lying  in  the  black  and  gold  of 
a  dying  May  27,  1919,  seemed  to  ponder 
on  the  achievement.  Did  an  intangible 
sadness,  a  regret,  tinge  the  moment  for 
her?  Once  she  had  her  heroes  and  her 


navigators.  Somewhere,  among  her  ter- 
raced hills  and  her  half  a  million  people, 
walked  the  ghosts  of  John  the  Great, 
Vasco  da  Gama,  Cabral,  Prince  Henry 
the  Navigator;  of  Amerigo  Vespucci,  even 
—name-giver  to  a  new  continent.  And 
here,  in  1 709,  in  the  Palace  of  the  Indies, 
occurred  one  of'  the  earliest  aeronautical 
demonstrations.  Bartholomeo  -  Lourenco 
de  Gusmao  had  on  that  day  sent  a  globe 
to  the  ceiling  of  the  Hall  of  Ambassadors 
before  the  assembled  court — a  ball  "borne 
up  by  certain  materials  which  burned  and 
which  the  inventor  himself  had  ignited." 
Where  were  the  explorers  now?  Where 
were  those  who  inspired  to  conquer  the 
air,  to  fulfill  Gusmao's  promise  of  a  "ma- 
chine competent  to  journey  through  the 
air  faster  than  over  land  or  sea,  to  carry 
messages  five  or  six  hundred  miles  a  day 
to  troops,  and  even  adequate  to  explore 
regions  about  the  poles?"  They  were  there, 
but  they  were  invaders.  They  awakened 
Portugal  from  a  dream,  shattering  her 
peace  with  the  thunder  of  their  engines 
and  the  flash  of  strange  and  amazing 
wings. 

A  voice  broke  the  silence. 

"Tell  the  Shaivmut  to  direct  her  search- 
lights westward  into  the  wind,  so  as  to 
shine  upon  the  water." 

A  sword  of  light  swung  into  the  dusk 
and  found  the  NC-4-  She  taxied  toward 
the  Rochester.  A  motor  boat  from  the 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic-: : 


A  Trial  Flight  in  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun 


Shaivmut,  hovering  in  wait,  took  or!  the 
crew.  They  went  up  the  Rochester ' s  gang- 
way, smiling  men  whose  faces  were  tinged 
with  the  gray  of  a  long- sustained  and 
nervous  effort.  Commander  J.  H.  Towers, 
U.  S.  N.,  officer  in  charge  ot  the  Navy- 
Curtiss  riving  boats'  expedition,  grasped 
their  hands.  Admiral  Plunkett,  U.  S. 
Minister  Birch  and  Portuguese  officials 
stood  there  to  receive  them;  the  white 
and  colored  dresses  of  civilians  and  soldiers 
glittered  under  the  searchlights. 

Tumult  and  cheering,  thunderous  cheer- 
ing, until  an  abrupt  hush  cut  it  sharply, 
like  an  invisible  knife. 

"O  say,  can  you  see— 

The  anthem  of  a  young  but  great  re- 
public filled  the  air.  The  flyers,  haggard 
but  happy,  stood  rigid  at  salute.  About 
them  liags,  lights  and  uniforms  gleamed 
motionless  and  dazzling  out  of  the  night. 
The  music  swelled  upward  into  the  dome 


of  darkness,  a  triumphal  hymn  of  the  West 
sending  its  warriors  East  to  tree  men  from 
an  impeding  nature  as  it  had  lately  freed 
them  from  men.  Coming  out  ot  the  sun- 
set, the  NC~4  had  brought  the  sunrise  ot 
a  new  and  great  human  achievement. 

:•:     :•:     >;. 

A  light,  indeed,  that  never  was  on  sea 
or  land!  Man,  earth  and  ocean  tamed  to 
his  will,  had  reached  like  Prospero  into 
the  air  and  subdued  it  to  his  uses.  He 
had  won  the  secrets  of  demons,  witches 
and  gods.  If  he  could  not  put  a  girdle 
around  the  earth  in  forty  minutes,  he 
could  leap  from  continent  to  continent 
in  a  day.  He  had  outrun  the  fastest  wind; 
his  speed  began  to  vie  with  that  of  light 
and  sound. 

Almost  the  record  of  it  is  incredible. 
Three  flying  boats  of  the  American  Navy 
went  sailing  out  into  the  east  as  the  sun 
went  down  at  Trepassey .  They  had  pledged 


* 


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ai 


•ji- 

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JS 

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The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


A  close-up  of  the  after  pan  of  the  NC-4  Hull 

themselves  to  a  flight  to  Europe;    the  first       up  by  a  passing   vessel,  eventually   sank. 


stage  of  it  to  be  a  voyage  of  1,380  statute 
miles,  to  be  completed  in  a  day,  and  to 
set  them  beside  a  few  rocky  islands  washed 
by  the  mists  of  the  middle  Atlantic.  They 
rose  over  a  sea  strewn  with  togs  and  ice- 
bergs. They  flew  into  vastness  and  night. 
Fifty  miles  apart  shafts  of  light  whipped 
the  sky,  flashed  from  destroyers  of  the 
U.  S.  Navy.  The  Navy-Curtiss  planes  out- 
rode the  darkness.  Their  lights  or  shad- 
ows trailed  on  1,300  miles  of  ocean.  At 
the  door  ol  achievement  two  of  them, 
blinded  by  fog,  descended,  motors  still 
going  perfectly,  to  the  ocean  to  get  their 
bearings.  A  heavier  sea  than  they  ex- 
pected damaged  both  so  that  a  take-off 
was  impossible.  One,  her  crew  picked 


The  other,  covering  205  miles  of  ocean, 
came  in  battered,  triumphant,  to  Ponta 
Delgada. 

History   will   say   that   the   NC-i    and 
the  NC~3  succeeded.   They  did  not  meet 


Bow  view  of  the  NC-3 


IO 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


The  NC-4  afloat  at  the  Naval  Air  Station,  Rockaway,  L.  I. 


their  difficulties  in  flight,  but  in  circum- 
stances attendant  on  flight.  They  indi- 
cated what  ocean  flyers  might  expect  and 
what  flying  boats  could  stand.  They  vin- 
dicated their  type  in  adversity. 

The  NC~4  vindicated  it  by  success. 
Taxying  across  the  harbor  of  Horta  in 
Fayal  less  than  sixteen  hours  after  leaving 
Trepassey,  she  became  suddenly  the  talk 
of  the  world.  Despite  unusually  trying 


conditions  she  reached  the  Azores,  rising 
above  the  fog  in  time  to  catch  a  glimpse 
of  a  rocky  point  below  her.  Descending 
to  a  harbor  she  waited  for  her  sister 
ships.  Later,  leaving  the  battered  NC~3 
at  Ponta  Delgada,  she  went  on  to  Lisbon 
and  to  Plymouth,  mastering  the  Atlantic 
for  aviation  and  converting  a  skep- 
tical world  to  the  thorough  practicability 
of  flying. 


A  Flighty  Talk  on  the  "hull"  situation 


Chief  of  Staff,  Capt.  T.  T.  Craven  and 
Commander].  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N. 


II- -"A  Boat 

;NLY  achievement,"  says 
the  maxim  maker,  "fully 
enslaves  curiosity." 
The  Atlantic  flight  has 
rendered  its  bit  of  proof 
to  the  proverb.  A  flying 
boat  has  flown  from 
America  to  Europe.  Immediately  the 
world  mouthes  a  new  question.  "What  is 
a  flying  boat?"  Yesterday  the  type  churned 
peacefully  in  the  public  mind  with  mono- 
plane, aeroplane,  triplane,  hydroaeroplane, 
pusher,  and  airscout.  Known,  yes;  but 
known  vaguely.  When,  where,  and  by 
whom  was  it  originated?  Few  could  tell. 
Until  yesterday  none  cared.  To-day  every- 
one is  inquiry.  A  flying  boat,  learns  the 
world,  has  been  the  first  to  link  the  con- 
tinents by  air.  A  flying  boat,  experts  tell 
it,  is  the  one  craft  suited  to  long  over-the- 
ocean  voyages,  for  it  alone  can  descend  to 
the  ocean  and  weather  out  storms  while 
riding  the  surface  of  the  sea.  What  wonder 
that  the  public,  assured  of  the  magnificent 
future  of  the  flying  boat,  thrilled  with  its 
spectacular  present,  demands  to  know  its 
past? 

The  story  is  a  necessary  preface  to  the 
present  narrative,  for  the  man  who  invented 
the  flying  boat  and  the  men  who  first  flew 
it,  its  rapid  growth,  its  swiftly  broadening 
use,  are  all  tied  up  with  the  final  flight 
from  New  York  to  Plymouth. 

If  truth  is  stranger    than  fiction,  it  is 


.55 


With  Wings' 

surely  because  truth  is  often  a  paradox. 
And  if  truth  has  been  a  paradox,  it  has 
seldom  been  a  more  startling  one  than  in 
the  case  of  the  transatlantic  flight. 

Here  indeed  the  last  was  first  and  the 
first  was  last.  Not  only  was  the  NC— 4, 
latest  launched  of  the  NC's  and  latest  to 
arrive  at  Trepassey,  the  final  victor  in  the 
aerial  race  between  the  three,  but  the 
flying  boat  itself,  first  aeroplane  to  perform 
what  in  the  largest  sense  is  a  cosmic  feat, 
is  the  last  type  of  craft  which  aeronautical 
ingenuity  has  evolved.  It  is  the  infant  of 


Underwood  &  Underwood 


Bow  of  the  NC-i 


o 

02 


O 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


International  Film  Sen-ice 
The  "Hull"   authority — Commander  H.    C.    Richardson, 
Construction  Corps,  U.  S.  N. 

aviation.  Practical  aeronautics  is  sixteen 
years  old;  the  flying  boat  eight  or  nine. 
But  like  Hercules  in  his  cradle  the  new 
type  has  proved  a  prodigy.  In  the  race 
for  scientific  achievement  it  has  surpassed 
all  models  of  aeroplanes  and  hydoaero- 
planes. 

Its  story  takes  us  back  to  i  908—09.  The 
Aerial  Experiment  Association,  a  group  of 
enthusiastic  inventors  including  Alexander 
Graham  Bell,  inventor  of  the  telephone, 
was  at  that  time  busy  with  aeronautical 
problems.  Glenn  H.  Curtiss,  director  of 
experiments,  was  interested  in  flying  from 


and  alighting  on  water  as  well  as  on  land. 
In  1908  an  interesting  attempt  was  made 
with  the  Loon, — the  famous  June  Bug, 
first  American  machine  to  make  a  public 
flight  of  a  mile,  fitted  with  pontoons — but 
the  attempt  was  not  considered  successful, 
though  the  machine  seems  to  have  left  the 
water  for  brief  intervals. 

Mr.  Curtiss,  busy  with  aeroplanes  dur- 
ing the  next  few  years,  could  not  give 
marine  flying  the  attention  he  desired, 
but  in  1910  indicated  that  he  had  not 
lost  interest  or  belief  in  its  possibilities  by 
equipping  his  Albany-New  York  aeroplane 


Photo,  Edwin  Levlck.  N".  Y. 
Checking  their  Navigation  Instruments 


Underwood  &  Underwood 
Testing  the  Motors  of  the  NC-i 

with  wing  floats  which  would  have  allowed 
it,  in  case  of  necessity,  to  land  upon  the 
Hudson.  In  the  spring,  summer  and  fall 
of  1910  experiments  were  made  at  Ham- 
mondsport,  N.  Y.,  and  late  in  the  same 
year  Mr.  Curtiss  was  able  to  plan  a  polish- 
ing off  of  the  seaplane  question  at  San 
Diego,  California. 

So  certain  had  his  experiments  made 
him  of  an  early  success  that  the  inventor 
invited  officers  of  both  the  Army  and 
Navy  tp  join  his  camp  on  North  Island, 


h 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


The  NC-i  in  flight  at  Rockaway 


the  latter  to  watch  the  development  of 
the  first  over-the-water  craft.  Both  Army 
and  Navy  officers  were  to  receive  flying 
instruction.  The  Army  sent  Lieut.  Paul 
Beck  of  the  Signal  Corps,  Lieut.  J.  C. 
Walker  of  the  8th  infantry,  and  Lieut. 
C.  E.  M.  Kelly,  whose  self-sacrificing  death 
was  later  to  be  commemorated  in  Kelly 
Field,  Texas,  one  of  the  largest  flying 
fields  in  the  nation.  The  Navy  represen- 
tative was  Lieut.  T.  G.  Ellyson. 

In  January,  1911,  a  hydroaeroplane  was 
produced  which  arose  from  the  water  and 
landed  upon  it.  The  difficult  problems  of 
equilibrium  —  altogether  different  from 
those  of  a  land  machine — -of  water  suction 
on  the  pontoons,  of  the  location  of  power 
plant,  had  all  been  solved.  When  one 
learns  that  an  Italian  aviator  found  the 
suction  on  his  floats  so  great  that  he  only 
rose  by  leaving  the  bottom  of  his  pontoons 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 

Side  View  of  the  NC-i,  at  the  Rockaway  N'aval  Air 
Station,  L.  1. 


i6 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


The  NC-4  afloat,  Rockavvay,  L.  I. 


behind  him,  as  a  rat  does  its  tail  when  neces-       moving  hydro  has  perforated  a  propeller 


sary,  one  may  begin  to  appreciate  the  dif- 
ficulties overcome.    Spray  thrown  up  by  a 


NC  Mascot 


like  bird  shot.  This  fact  may  again  suggest 
the  extent  of  the  achievement.  All  was 
experimental.  Facts  known  to-day  had 
then  to  be  wrenched  from  a  reluctant 
Nature  by  constant  experiment  and  in  the 
face  of  often  discouraging  results. 

When  the  U.  S.  Navy  learned  of  the 
success  of  the  San  Diego  experiments  it 
immediately  issued  specifications  for  a  hy- 
droaeroplane, and  in  July,  1911,  Mr. 
Curtiss  delivered  this  to  the  Government. 
He  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  flying 
boat,  and  during  the  winter  of  1911-12 
evolved  a  practical  machine  of  this  type. 
At  Hammondsport,  N.Y.,  in  the  summers 
of  1912  and  1913,  many  young  Naval 
officers  gathered  to  observe  and  fly  the 
new  marine  model.  Among  these  were 
Lieuts.  J.  H.  Towers,  P.  N.  L.  Bellinger, 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


and  H.  C.  Richardson.  These  pioneers 
of  1 9 1  2  were  to  become  commanders  and 
pilots  for  the  transatlantic  flight  of  1919. 

The  Curtiss  flying  boat  won  quick 
recognition.  It  was  accepted  by  the  U.  S. 
Government.  It  knocked  successfully  at 
the  aeronautical  doors  of  Russia,  Brazil, 
Japan,  and  other  nations.  And  in  the  first 
few  years  of  its  existence  it  leaped  into 
unusual  renown  as  the  first  heavier-than- 
air  flying  type  to  be  constructed  for  a 
transatlantic  flight. 

The  spring  of  1914  was  as  full,  indeed, 
of  transatlantic  thrill  as  that  of  five  years 
later.  Rodman  Wanamaker  had  decided 
to  attempt  the  subjugation  of  the  ocean 
for  aeronautics  "in  the  cause  of  science 
and  the  interest  of  world  peace."  He 
had  asked  Lieut.  J.  C.  Porte  of  the 
British  Admiralty,  then  temporarily  re- 
tired from  service,  and  Lieut.  J.  H. 
Towers  of  the  American  Navy  to  pilot  a 
flying  boat  to  be  designed  by  Glenn  H. 
Curtiss. 

Like  the  projected  voyage  of  Colum- 
bus, the  expedition  provoked  ridicule. 
Even  aeronautical  designers  claimed  it  to 
be  impossible.  Mr.  Curtiss,  however,  was 
willing  to  undertake  the  construction  of  a 
vessel  of  sufficient  strength  and  carrying 
capacity  to  reach  the  Azores,  and  the 
America,  first  of  a  line  of  multi-motored 
seaplanes,  was  built  at  Hammondsport, 
New  York,  in  the  spring  of  1914.  A 
machine  of  seventy-two  foot  wing  spread 
and  two  160  H.  P.  motors,  she  eventu- 
ally mounted  three  motors  capable  of 
totalling  480  H.  P.  or  more,  and  had 
capacity  for  ample  fuel  supply,  food,  and 
two  pilots. 


The  world  waited  with  tense  interest 
on  the  America  s  attempt  as  the  last 
hours  of  July,  1914,  were  ticked  away. 


A  Close-up  of  Pilot's  Cockpit,  showing  Compass,  Windshield 
and  Ventilator 


International  Film  Service 
A  Close-up  of  the  NC  Engines 


Photo,  Edwin  Levick,  X.  Y. 

The  "Drift-Indicator"  above  and  "Landing  Flares"  below 
Bow  of  one  of  the  NC's 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


The  NC-4  "Taxying"  out  for  a  trial  flight 


Unfortunately  with  August  war  came,— 
war  which  shattered  the  plans  of  millions 
and  changed  the  interests  of  a  dozen  na- 
tions. Lieut.  Porte  was  hastily  recalled 
to  England.  The  condition  of  Europe,  a 
continent  rolling  in  blood  and  fire,  made 
unfitting  any  attempt  to  start  the  America 
on  her  voyage.  She  was  disassembled. 
Although  later  purchased  by  the  British 
Government  and  used  in  maritime  flying 
service,  she  never  turned  her  wings  toward 
Europe  for  a  continent  to  continent  flight. 

Nevertheless,  the  America  had  served 
a  great  purpose.  She  had  established  the 
idea  and  practice  of  multi-motored  sea- 
planes. She  had  sown  the  seed  of  the 
America  to  Europe  flight. 

Events  were  now  to  bring  that  flight 
nearer  to  realization. 


The  American  declaration  of  war  in 
April,  1917,  evoked  a  new  Air  Service, 
"initiated  in  a  burst  of  enthusiasm  and 
imagination  almost  unparalleled  in  our 
history."  It  was  a  service,  naval  as  well  as 
military.  Admiral  Taylor,  Chief  Naval 
Constructor,  was  at  once  busy  with  plans 
for  the  development  of  the  most  effective 
marine  flying  service  possible. 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 
NC-i  Taxying  for  a  Trial  Spin  off  Rockaway,  L.  I. 


2O 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


Setting  up  the  tail  of  the  NC-j 


Naturally  the  submarine  peril  demanded 
attention,  and  on  August  25,  1917,  Ad- 
miral Taylor  formulated  a  plan  for  attack- 
ing U-Boats  with  flying  craft. 

"If  we  can  push  ahead  on  the  airplane 
end,"  he  wrote  to  Naval  Constructor  J. 
C.  Hunsaker,  "it  seems  to  me  that  the 
submarine  menace  could  be  abated,  even 
if  not  destroyed,  from  the  air. 

"The  ideal  solution  would  be  big  flying 
boats  or  the  equivalent,  that  would  be 
able  to  fly  across  the  Atlantic  to  avoid  the 
difficulties  of  delivery,  etc." 

Fortunately  the  United  States,  though 
a  new  entrant,  had  been  supplying  the 
Entente  nations  with  war  materials  for 
some  time,  and  had  resources  at  her  dis- 
posal which  would  not  otherwise  have 
been  available. 


Among  these  one  of  the  most  valuable 
was  the  plant  and  personnel  of  the  Curtiss 
Aeroplane  and  Motor  Corporation,  which 
had  been  building  aeroplanes  and  sea- 
planes for  Great  Britain  and  Russia  since 
1915.  The  America  had  been  the  basis 


Underwood  &  Underwood 
Testing  the  "Generator"  of  Wireless  Apparatus 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


2  I 


A  Close-up  View  of  one  of  the  Wing  Pontoons 

for  British  flying  boat  designs  such 
as  the  H-i6,  and  some  of  these  had  been 
constructed  at  Buffalo.  The  HS  had  been 
a  later  American  development,  and  in 
1916  the  Curtiss  organization  had  pro- 
duced Model  T,  a  triplane  flying  boat  of 
133  foot  wing  spread  and  four  275  H.  P. 
V~4  Curtiss  motors.  This  stands  to-day 
as  the  largest  flying  boat  ever  constructed, 
and  was  until  recently  the  largest  aero- 
plane, its  wing  spread  exceeding  by  two 
feet  that  of  the  British  Tarrant  plane. 

Mr.  Curtiss  was  known  to  have  ideas, 
based  on  this  long  experience  with  the 
flying  boat,  for  further  multi- motored 
types.  It  was  natural,  then,  that  as  a  re- 
sult of  Admiral  Taylor's  suggestion  of 
August  25,  he  should  be  invited  to  Wash- 
ington for  a  conference  with  Navy  engi- 
neers on  the  design  and  construction  of 
the  proposed  submarine  destroyers.  On 
September  9,  1917,  he,  with  the  Curtiss 
Engineers,  W.  L.  Gilmore  and  Henry 
Kleckler,  met  the  Navy  representatives 
and  decided  upon  a  general  course  of  pro- 
cedure with  regard  to  large  flying  craft 
to  be  known  as  the  Navy-Curtiss  flying 
boats. 


The  plan  was  to  pool  all  ideas,  Naval 
and  Curtiss,  in  the  interests  of  the  Nation 
and  of  the  new  flying  type.  Naval  Con- 
structors J.  C.  Hunsaker^  C.  G.  Wester- 
velt,  H.  C.  Richardson;  Dr.  A.  F.  Zahm 
and  other  Naval  engineers  were  to  co- 
operate with  Curtiss  designers,  and  to 
superintend  the  actual  construction  of  the 
flying  boats  at  all  stages  of  their  pro- 
duction at  the  Curtiss  plant. 

The  new  design  departed  from  previous 
models  in  important  respects.  One  of  the 
most  radical  changes  embodied  was  the 
shortened  hull.  The  133  ft.  Curtiss 
Model  T,  like  the  smaller  America, 
had  had  its  tail  surfaces  attached  directly 
to  the  boat  portion  of  the  seaplane.  The 
hull  was  thus  necessarily  long,  like  the 


Underwood  &  Underwood 


"Some  Tail" 


Commander  G.  C.  Westervelt 


Commander  H.  C.  Richardson 


Center  picture  ©  Harris  &  Ewing 


Rear  Admiral  D.  W.  Taylor  ( center j 
THE   MEN  WHO   ARE    RESPONSIBLE   FOR   THE   NC   FLYING   BOATS 


Harris  &  Ewing 


Courtesy  "  The  World's  Work  " 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


23 


Front  View  of  the  NC-j  at  Rockaway  Naval  Air  Station 


fuselage  of  an  aeroplane.  Landing  and 
taxying  put  upon  it  a  much  greater  strain 
than  that  borne  by  the  corresponding 
fuselage  of  an  aeroplane  or  the  hull  of  a 
small  flying  boat.  The  NC  designers  es- 
caped the  alternative  of  a  too  heavy  hull 
or  a  weak  one  by  cutting  ofF  the  rear 
end  of  the  hull.  What  does  not  exist 
cannot  be  weak.  The  "tail  surfaces"  were 
mounted  on  outriggers  from  a  short,  com- 
pact hull  which,  as  experience  has  indis- 
putably proved,  achieved  an  unprecedented 
strength. 

Important  changes   were  also  made  in 


the  shape  of  the  hull.  Commander 
Richardson,  U.  S.  N.,  carried  on  import- 
ant tests  for  this  in  the  model  basin  at 
the  Washington  Navy  Yard,  assisted  by 
Naval  Constructor  McEntee.  From  his 
own  ideas  and  suggestions  made  by  En- 
gineer W.  L.  Gilmore  of  the  Curtiss 
organization  he  developed  a  hull  pecu- 
liarly fitted  for  effective  taking  off"  and 
taxying. 

The  use  of  Liberty  motors,  of  an  all- 
aluminum  gasoline  system,  of  box  section 
beams,  and  of  the  box  tail  were  other  im- 
portant innovations  in  the  NC  boats. 


- 


The  NC-2  on  the  marine  railway  at   Rockaway 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


The  NC-i  in  her  cradle  at  Rockaway,  with  the  NC-3  in  the  background 


Three  motors  were  deemed  sufficient 
power  plant  for  the  new  seaplanes. 

The  authorization  by  the  United  States 
Navy  for  the  construction  of  the  NC 
boats  was  signed  by  Secretary  Daniels  in 
December,  1917.  Construction  began  at 
the  Curtiss  Engineering  Corporation  in 
Garden  City,  Long  Island,  during  January, 
1918.  The  NC— i  was  successfully  flown 
October  4,  1918. 

This  new  flying  boat  was  one  of  the 
largest,  certainly,  on  the  whole,  the  most 
powerful  of  flying  craft  completed  to  date. 
She  had  a  wing  spread  of  126  feet,  and 
overall  length  of  70  feet.  Her  three 
Liberty  engines,  installed  as  tractors,  one 
central,  and  one  supported  between  the 


wings  on  either  side,  developed  a  total  of 
almost  1200  horse  power.  Above  all,  the 
staunchness  of  the  hull  and  the  weight  of 
24,000  pounds  at  which  the  NC-i  flew 
fully  loaded,  marked  a  new  era  in  sea- 
plane and  aeroplane  performance. 

Unfortunately  the  NC-i  was  not  finished 
in  time  for  war  service.  The  armistice, 
signed  November  11,  found  her  skirting 
the  Atlantic  coast  in  preliminary  trials  of 
remarkable  promise.  With  the  armistice 
disappeared,  and  shall  we  not  say  fortun- 
ately, the  idea  of  employing  her  or  her 
sister  ships  for  battle  uses.  The  activities 
for  which  they  were  reserved  the  follow- 
ing pages  attempt — acknowledging  in  an 
inadequate  fashion — to  describe. 


Ill — Planning  for  a  Voyage 


ADMIRAL  Taylor's  sugges- 
tion of  August  25,  1917, 
called  for  a  machine  able 
to  fly  across  the  Atlantic. 
The  idea  of  such  a 
crossing  had  never  lapsed 
during  the  preliminary 
months  of  design  and  construction  which 
preceded  the  first  flight  of  the  NC-i  on 
October  4,  1918.  Now,  in  December, 
1918,  it  revived  with  fresh  intensity. 

"If  there  is  to  be  no  fight,  there  will  at 
least  be  a  flight!" 

Such,  in  effect,  was  Navy  sentiment. 
For  already,  with  the  beginning  of  winter, 
Naval  officials  laid  their  plans  for  an  at- 
tempt to  fly  to  Europe  to  take  place  early 
in  May  of  1919.  Route,  seaplanes,  com- 
manders, fuel,  and  auxiliary  service  were 
carefully  discussed  in  Washington  long 
before  the  Daily  Mail,  across  the  water, 


had  made  an  offer  of  j£  10,000  which  was 
to  send  half  a  dozen  British  machines  to 
Newfoundland  to  select  their  fields  and 
build  their  hangars  in  the  fog  and  melting 
snow. 

The  American  Navy  could  not  well 
have  hesitated  between  the  two  possible 
methods  of  crossing  the  Atlantic. 

One  way,  the  world  knows,  was  to  make 
the  flight  a  great  sporting  event.  The 
other  possibility  was  to  keep  it,  as  closely 
as  possible,  to  a  well  organized  scientific 
expedition. 

Obviously  the  American  Navy  could 
not,  even  if  it  would,  choose  sport  in 
preference  to  science.  Dignity  and  effi- 
ciency forbade  that.  Its  pilots  were  sent 
out,  not  on  their  own  initiative,  but  by 
official  order  and  under  official  endorse- 
ment. They  must  be  assisted  and  pro- 
tected. They  must  have  the  best  flying 


The  NC-4  on  her  cradle  at  Rockaway,  L.  I. 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


27 


-rfite 


Commander  J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  reading  his  orders  on  formal  receipt  of  the  NC's  from 

Captain  T.  T.  Craven,  Chief  of  Staff 


craft  available.  They  must  go  by  the  best 
even  if  not  the  quickest  route.  They  must 
be  furnished  with  all  possible  auxiliary 
service.  Any  other  course  would  be  a  slap 
in  the  face  for  the  Service  from  its  own 
personnel. 

The  careful  and  extensive  organization 
which  characterized  the  NC  flight,  the 
selection  of  Navy-Curtiss  flying  boats,  and 
the  choosing  of  the  Newfoundland- Azores- 
Lisbon-Plymouth  route  were  the  results 
of  these  facts. 

The  chief  features  of  the  organization 
were  Government  weather  reports,  the 
extensive  use  of  radio  equipment,  the  as- 
signing of  Government  destroyers  to  act 
as  tenders,  and  the  establishing  of  a  line 
of  destroyers  reaching  from  Trepas- 
sey,  Newfoundland,  to  Lisbon,  Portu- 
gal. 

The  selection  of  the  Navy-Curtiss  flying 
boats  came  to  mean  the  sending  of  three 


flying  boats,  each  carrying  four  instead  of 
three  Liberty  motors. 

The  NC-2  was  almost  completed  when 
the  armistice  was  signed,  and  construction 
had  begun  on  the  NC~3  and  the  NC~4- 
Work  on  these  two  vessels  was  hurried. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  even  with 
the  added  effort  the  NC~4  was  not  launched 
at  Far  Rockaway  until  April  30,  1919. 


The  NC-3  and  her  Hangar  at  the  Naval  Station,  Rockaway,  L.  I. 


28 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


CREW  OF  NC-l 


International  Film  Service 


Left  to  right — Lieut.  Commander  P.  N.  L.  Bellinger,  U.  S.  N.;   Lieut.    Commander  M.  A.  Mitscher,  U.  S.  N.;   Lieut. L.  T.  Barin, 
U.  S.  N.  R.  F.;    Lieut,   (j.  g. )  H.  Sadenwater,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.;   Chief  Machinist's  Mate  C.  I.  Kesler,  U.  S.  N.; 

Machinist  R.  Christensen,  U.  S.  N. 


Three  motored  NC's  could  have  carried 
sufficient  gasoline  with  which  to  make 
the  Azores  under  favorable  conditions. 
The  desire  however,  was,  that  they  should 


Side  view  of  the  NC-3  at  the  Naval  Air  Station,  Rockaway,  L.  I. 


carry  more  than  an  adequate  supply.  It 
was  realized  that  the  relation  of  motor 
power  to  carrying  capacity  was  favorable 
to  the  large  number  of  motors.  By  adding 
a  fourth  motor,  designers  could  increase 
the  NC  carrying  capacity  by  four  thousand 
pounds,  adding  but  a  little  over  a  thousand 
pounds  in  actual  weight  of  the  motor, 
bracing,  etc.  It  was  a  good  trade,  and 
the  frames  ot  the  NC's  were  sufficiently 
strong  to  allow  it.  The  fourth  motor  was 
added. 

The  original  NC-i  had  three  tractors,— 
i.  e.,  motors  whose   propellers   are  before 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


29 


rather  than  behind  the  engine.  The 
NC-2  had  been  fitted  for  experiment  with 
a  pusher  (in  the  central  nacelle)  and  two 
tractors.  This  arrangement  was  completely 
and  interestingly  altered  in  the  NC-2 
when  a  fourth  motor  was  added  by  in- 
corporating the  motors  in  two  nacelles,  a 
motor  at  each  end.  The  front  motor  was, 
of  necessity,  a  tractor  and  the  rear  one  a 
pusher.  The  head  resistance  of  two  extra 
nacelles  was  thus  partly  eliminated. 

This  new  arrangement  proved  successful. 
Another    type     of    disposition, —  three 


Side  view  of  the  NC-3  at  Naval  Air  Station,  Rockaway,  L.  I. 

tractors  and  one  pusher,  the  central  nacelle 
of  the   type   of  the    NC-2,    two    others 


CREW  OF  THE  FLAGSHIP  NC-} 


International  Film  Sen-ice 


Left  to  right — Commander  John  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  commander  of  XC-3  and  Trans-Atlantic  expedition;  Commander  Holden  C.  Richardson,  U.S.N., 

pilot;   Lieut.  David  H.  McCullough,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  pilot;  Lieut.  Commander  Robert  A.  Lavender,   U.  S.  N.,  radio  operator; 

Machinist  Lloyd  R.  Moore,  U.  S.  N.,   engineer;   Lieut.  Braxton  Rhodes,    U.  S.  N.,  reserve  pilot  engineer 


Weighing,  Doping,  Measuring  and  Finishing  the  NC  Wing  Panels  and  Ailerons 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


31 


Underwood  &  Underwood 


Orientating  the  NC's 


single-motored   and   between   the   wings, 
also  gave  satisfaction. 

TheNC-i  andNC-3  had  both  followed 
this  latter  form  of  installation.  When  the 
NC-i  was  damaged  in  a  storm  at  Far 
Rockaway  toward  the  end  of  March  it 
was  decided  to  fit  her  with  the  wings  of 
the  NC-2,  and  equip  the  NC-4  with  the 
same  motor  arrangement  as  the  NC-i  and 
NC-3.  Exit  the  NC-2!  Her  motor 
mounting  may,  however,  reappear  as  the 
base  of  six,  eight  and  ten  motored  aerial 
liners  of  to-morrow,  where  room  for  en- 
gines will  be  at  a  premium. 

While  the  saws,  files,  ovens  and  dope 
rooms  of  the  Garden  City  Plant  were  busy 
with  the  NC-3  anc^  NC-4,  the  Govern- 
ment was  perfecting  radio  apparatus,  lights 
and  instruments  for  the  seaplanes.  Com- 
mander John  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  who 
had  been  placed  in  command  of  the 
expedition,  was  determining  to  last  details 
the  procedure  to  be  followed  by  the  flyers. 
To  a  large  degree  the  course  of  the  ex- 
pedition was  determined  by  consultation  at 
Washington.  On  April  1 4th,  Commander 
J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  received  orders 


instructing  him  with  regard  to  the  chief 
features  of  the  trip.  The  voyage  was  to 
be  made  with  three  vessels  of  the  NC-i 
type.  The  course  was  to  begin  at  Far 
Rockaway,  L.  I.,  follow  to  Trepassey, 
Newfoundland,  along  the  path  later  fol- 
lowed by  the  NC's,  and  run  from  that 
place  to  the  Azores,  either  Fayal  or  San 
Miguel  Islands  to  Lisbon, and  to  Plymouth. 
The  trip  was  to  be  made  during  the  month 
of  May.  If  possible  the  flyers  were  to  take 
advantage  of  the  full  moon  of  May  I4th. 
In  any  case  the  start  from  Rockaway  was 
to  be  made  as  early  in  May  as  possible. 


Commander  John  H.  Towers,  L*.  S.  N. 


32 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


Commander  John  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N. 

From  Rockaway  to  Trepassey  was  not  to 
be  considered  a  portion  of  the  main  voy- 
age, and  no  risks  were  to  be  taken  during 
this  preliminary  voyage. 

In  the  latter  part  of  April  Commander 
J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  arrived  at  Far 
Rockaway.  Here  he  supervised  numerous 
tests  made  both  with  F-5-L  Boats  and  with 
the  NC's  themselves.  Radio  apparatus, 
inclinometers,  communication  between 
planes,  load  capacity  and  maneuverability, 
were  the  varied  objects  of  experimenta- 
tion. 

The  behavior  of  boats  and  apparatus 
was  encouraging.  The  behavior  of  the 
weather  and  fortune  was  vile.  Never  did 
catastrophes  besiege  expedition  as  they 
assailed  the  Navy-Curtiss  flight.  Late  in 
March  a  storm,  already  mentioned, 
wrecked  the  wings  of  the  NC-i.  For  a 
long  period  bad  weather  sadly  hindered 
flying  experiments.  On  May  2d,  Chief 


Special  Mechanic  E.  H.  Howard,  U.  S.  N., 
lost  a  hand  in  misjudging  his  distance 
from  a  whirling  propeller.  On  May  4th 
there  were  two  accidents  affecting  flying 
personnel,  and  in  addition  a  lire,  which, 
breaking  out  in  the  hangars  at  2  A.  M., 
threatened  for  a  while  to  demolish  both 
the  NC-i  and  the  NC~3.  Considerable  re- 
pairs were  necessary  for  the  NC- 1  as  a  result. 

The  spirit  of  the  flyers  and  their  asso- 
ciates in  the  face  of  these  discouragements 
cannot  be  better  illustrated  than  by  the 
behavior  of  Special  Mechanic  E.  H.  How- 
ard, U.  S.  N. 

Not  only  did  he  treat  the  loss  of  his 
hand  lightly,  insisting  on  walking  the  300 
yards  to  the  hospital  for  treatment,  but, 
knowing  that  his  accident  would  cast  a 
shadow  on  the  other  members  of  the  crews 
on  the  eve  of  departure,  he  reappeared  at 
the  ways  after  having  received  treatment 
and  cried  to  the  commander: 


Lieut.    Commander  Albert  Cashing  Read,  U.  S.  N. 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


33 


"I'm  all  right,  sir.    I  hope  there  is  bad 
weather  for  two  weeks,  for  if  there  is  I'll 
make  the  trip  with  you  yet!" 
^      %      % 

The  damage  sustained  from  the  fire  was 
quickly  repaired.  The  weather,  after  a 
few  days'  misbehavior,  was  clear  and  mild 
at  Far  Rockaway  on  the  morning  of  May 
8th. 

The  crews,  now  ready  for  the  start, 
were  made  up  as  follows: 

PERSONNEL  OF  NC-j  (FLAGSHIP) 

Commanding  Officer — Commander  J.  H.  Tow- 
ers, U.  S.  N. 

Pilot — Commander   H.    C.    Richardson,    Con- 
struction Corps,  U.  S.  N. 

Pilot— Lieut.     D.     H.     McCullough,     U.     S. 
N.  R.  F. 

Radio    Operator — Lieut.     Commander    R.    A. 

Lavender,  U.  S.  N. 
*Ass't    Navigator — Lieut.    Commander    R.   E. 

Byrd,  U.  S.  N. 
Engineer — Machinist  L.  R.  Moore,  U.  S.  N. 

*Reserve     Pilot     Engineer  —  Lieut.      (j.    g. ) 
B.  Rhodes,  U.  S.  N. 


Lieut.  (  j.  g  )  W.  Hinton,  U.  S.  N.;   Lieut.  Commander  A.  C. 

Read,  U.S.  N.;  Lieut    E.  F.  Stone,  U.  S  C.  G. 

of  the  NC-4 

PERSONNEL  OF  NC-4 
Commanding  Officer  —  Lieut.   Commander  A. 

C.  Read,  U.  S.  N. 

Pilot — Lieut.  E.  F.  Stone,  U.  S.  C.  G. 
Pilot— Lieut,  (j.  g.)  W.  Hinton,  U.  S.  N. 

Radio  Operator — Ensign  H.  C.  Rodd,  U.  S.  N. 
R.  F. 

Reserve    Pilot    Engineer  —  Lieut.  J.  L.  Breese, 
U.  S.  N.  R.  F. 

Engineer — Chief  Machinist's  Mate  E.C.Rhodes, 

U.  S.  N. 

PERSONNEL  OF  NC-i 

Commanding    Officer — Lieut.    Commander   P. 
N.  L.  Bellinger,  U.  S.  N. 

Pilot — Lieut.    Commander    M.    A.    Mitscher, 
U.  S.  N. 

Pilot— Lieut.    L.    T.    Barin,    U.    S.   N.    R.    F. 

Radio     Operator — Lieut     (j.    g. )    H.    Saden- 
water,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F. 

Engineer — Chief  Machinist's  Mate  C.  I.  Kesler, 
U.  S.  N. 

Reserve  Pilot  Engineer — Machinist  R.  Chris- 
tensen,  U.  S.  N. 

The  three  boats  had  been  commissioned 
on  May  3d. 


The  first  eyes  to  see  the  Azores  from  the  air 


*NoTE —  These  men  ivent  as  far  as  Trepasscy  Bay 


34 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


Saluting  the  Colors,  at  the  commissioning  of  the  NC's 


The  crews,  their  preliminary  difficulties 
overcome,  were   ready   for   flight.    They 


Lieut.  Commander  P.  N.  L.  Bellinger,  U.  S.  N. 

Lieut.  Commander  M.  A.  Mitscher,  U.  S.  N. 
Lieut.  L.  T.  Barin,  U.  S.  N.   R.  F.  of  the  NC-i 


waited  for  reports  from  Washington  con- 
cerning the  weather  along  the  northern 
coast. 

At  9.30  A.  M.  Commander  J.  H. 
Towers  joined  the  others  with  a  smile. 

"Well,  boys,  let's  go!" 

Instantly  all  was  bustle  about  the  launch- 
ing ways. 

The  small  crowd,  carefully  limited  to 
"gobs,"  journalists  and  relatives,  saw  much 
work  and  little  ceremony.  Captain  Noble 
E.  Irwin,  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Naval 
Aviation,  distributed  four  leaf  clovers 
among  the  nineteen  men  who  were  soon 
to  take  the  air.  The  big  boats  were  drawn 
into  position  by  tractors  and  guiding  bands 
of  sailors.  The  crews,  hardly  able  to 
realize  that  the  hour  of  starting  had  come 
at  last,  nervously  adjusted  goggles  and  tele- 
phones over  their  heads.  The  pilots  grip- 
ped their  wheels. 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


35 


Looking  down  into  the  Pilot's  and  Navigator's  Cockpits 

9.57  A.  M.! 

With  a  roar  the  four  motors  of  NC-3 
broke  an  electric  silence.  The  flying  boat 
shot  down  the  ways  and  was  taxied  into 
the  bay.  The  NC-4  and  NC-i  followed; 
at  9.59  all  were  in  the  water. 


Looking  down  on  the  NC-4 

There  were  a  few  minutes  of  maneu- 
vering to  warm  up  the  motors.  Then, 
with  a  tail  of  foam  flashing  behind  her, 
the  "Three"  headed  down  the  long  stretch 
of  water,  the  foam  lessening  as  she  went 
and  finally  changing  to  a  thin  white  space 


The  Three  Ships  —  Ready  to  hop  off  from  Rockaway 


Photo.  Edwin  Levtck.  N.  Y. 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


The  boat  they  left  behind  them — NC-2  at  Rockaway 


Lieut.  Commander  A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N.  studying  the  charts  just  before 
the  start  from  Rockaway 


between  the  seaplane  and  the  gray  water.       boats  cut  the  skyline  in  a  majestic  proces- 
The  others  had  followed.    Soon  the  great       sion.    Deliberate,  incredible,  they  turned 

eastward    and    sailed    into     the    farthest 
haze. 

Reach  back  into  the  past,  you  who  look, 
call  them  dragons,  chariots  of  immortals, 
ships  bewitched  by  demons — you  cannot 
name  the  thing  they  are.  You  cannot  re- 
produce with  old  words  their  stupendous 
novelty.  They  go  unprecedented,  incom- 


r 


parable.     Watchers  can  only  follow  them 

•^f  m*       V        •  11  1  C 


Captain  Craven  and  Commander  J.H.  Towers,  U.S.N.,  and  Commander          with      lighting     CyCS      and      the      TUsh      of    an 


H.  C.  Richardson,  Construction  Corps,  U.  S.  N.,  talking 
it  over  at  Rockaway  before  the  start 


emotion  strong  and  inexpressible. 


IV — Eastward    Ho! 


JROM  Far  Rockaway,  L.  I., 
to  Trepassey,  Newfound- 
land, is  a  distance  of  ap- 
proximately i  ooo  nauti- 
cal or  1 1 50  statute  miles. 
The  three  NC  planes 
had  all  covered  this  dis- 
tance by  May  15,  the  NC-4  arriving  six 
days  after  the  NC-i  and  the  NC~3.  En- 
gine trouble  had  made  it  advisable  for  her 
to  descend  near  Cape  Cod.  She  alighted 
on  the  open  sea,  taxied  for  five  hours,  and 
brought  herself,  as  efficiently  as  if  water 
and  not  air  had  been  her  natural  medium, 
to  the  Naval  Air  Station  at  Chatham. 
By  May  loth  she  was  ready  to  resume 
flight.  Favorable  weather  at  1 1.17  A.  M. 
on  May  14  found  her  receiving  a  message 
from  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
Roosevelt:  "What  is  your  position?  All 
keenly  interested  in  your  progress.  Good 
luck!"  and  replying  three  minutes  later, 
"Thank  you  for  good  wishes.  NC-4  is 
20  miles  southwest  of  Seal  Island,  making 
85  miles  per  hour." 

Conditions  at  Trepassey  not  having  been 
propitious  for  flight,  the  NC-i  and  the 
NC~3  had  been  delayed  there  since  their 
arrival  on  the  evening  of  the  gth.  When 
the  NC~4  arrived  she  was  immediately 
overhauled.  A  new  engine  was  installed, 
three  new  propellers  were  attached,  and 
a  general  overhauling  given  the  seaplane. 
On  May  16,  1919,  all  three  boats  were 


ready  to  start.  They  had  fulfilled  almost 
to  the  letter  the  suggestion  of  their  April 
1 4th  orders  that  they  take  advantage  of 
the  May  I4th  moon. 

The  long,  narrow  harbor  at  Trepassey 
is  not  favorable  for  a  flying  boat  take-off. 
Indeed,  Commander  H.  C.  Richardson, 
Pilot-Commander,  Construction  Corps, 
U.  S.  N.,  reconnoitering  on  the  forenoon 
of  the  1 6th,  found  the  waves  toward  the 
farther  end  too  high  to  warrant  a  start. 
In  the  afternoon,  however,  they  subsided, 
and  a  take-off  was  planned. 


Underwood  A  Underwood 
A  Trial  Flight  at  Rockaway,  L.  I. 


l-'Vfc 

-il&Ld  ;     a' 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


39 


"She's  Off."      A  remarkable  photograph  of  the  NC-4  taken  from  a  naval  flying  boat 


)  Underwood  &  Underwood 


The  tenders,  U.  S.  S.  Prairie  and  17.  S.  S. 
Aroostook,  at  once  began  preparations  to 
start  for  Lisbon.  The  NC  crews  prepared 
lor  flight,  slipping  their  air  togs  over 
Naval  Aviation  uniforms.  They  wore  a 


combination  of  silk  socks  under  woolen 
ones,  and  fur-lined  boots  and  hoods,  but 
used  no  electrically  heated  suits. 

Trepassey  had  poured  out  her  popula- 
tion, native  and  transient,  to  witness  the 


NC-1  reached  Halifax 
MayS,  7.08P.M. 

NC  3  reached  Halifax 
MayS,  6.58  P.M. 


Portland 

UNITED    STATES 


Reached  Halifax 
May  14,  1.07  P.M. 
May  15, 11.47  A.M. 


ATLANTIC 
OCEAN 


Forced  down  at  sea 
reached  Chatham 

May  9,  7A.M. 
left  May  14,9. 16  A.M 


NC-3NC-I  &  NC-4 


Left  Rockaway  Beach 
May  8,10  A.M. 


THE  MATTHEWe-NORTHRUP  WORKS.   BUFFALO,  N.  V. 

66'  64' 


First  Leg,  U.  S.  Navy  Flying  Boats  NC-j,  NC-i  and  NC-4  from  Rockaway,  N.  Y.,  to  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia 

(Time  given  is  New  York  Standard) 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 

departure.  The  town  was  as  empty  as  an 
inverted  pitcher.  Shore  and  water  were 
darkened  with  spectators.  On  the  de- 
stroyers were  crowded  Naval  officers, 
sailors,  and  newspaper  correspondents. 
Commanders  Towers,  Read,  and  Bellin- 
ger, fresh  from  a  last  minute  rehearsal 
of  procedure,  sat  alert  aboard  their  ships, 
runners  crouched  on  a  viewless,  cosmic 
cinderpath.  A  gig  with  Captain  Crenshaw, 
the  base  commander,  and  Captain  Ghent 
of  the  Prairie,  darted  out  for  last  good- 
byes, keeping  a  cautious  distance  from  the 
precious  planes. 

Now  they  waited  the  word. 

"Let's  go!"  shouted  Commander 
Towers. 

The  motors  of  the  NC~3  began  to  re- 
volve. In  the  bright  sunlight — it  was  six 
o'clock  New  York  time — the  three  vessels 
taxied  out,  maneuvered  a  few  minutes,  and 
then,  the  NC-3  in  the  lead,  shot  forward 
for  flight.  They  left  at  6.06,  6.07,  and 
6.09  P.  M.,  the  NC-i  bringing  up  the 
rear. 

The  course  was  open  sea.  There  were 
no  rivers  or  railroads  or  coastlines  to 
iollow,  no  towns  or  lakes  to  identify. 
Only  a  line  ot  sixty  destroyers,  clicking 
advice  and  brandishing  stiff  antennae  of 


U.  S.  Xaval  Air  Sen-ice 
NC-i  at  Anchor  in  Trepassey  Bay 


Newspaper  Union 


NC-i  and  NC-3  at  Halilax 


light,  would  break  the  empty  sweep  of  that 
sea. 

In  the  late  light  of  those  first  hours  the 
water  lay  smooth.  The  deflected  glow  of 
a  sunset  filled  the  sky.  Icebergs  swam  by 
under  the  wings  of  the  flyers. 

Let  us  imagine  ourselves  in  the  pilot's 
cockpit  of  the  NC-4  as  she  takes  her  way 
eastward  six  hundred  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  fading  light  shows  us  the  NC~3 
ahead,  rising  and  falling  in  the  changing 
air  as  if  on  the  slow,  high  waves  of  an 
invisible  sea.  All  sound  is  merged  into  the 
roar  of  four  motors.  All  about  us  is  a  sense 
of  space, — open,  illimitable,  so  vast  that  we 
seem  shaken  free  forever  from  the  earth, 
and  winging  in  a  new  world  whose  laws 
are  alien  to  all  we  have  known. 

Before  us  is  the  board  of  instruments, — 
clocks,  compass,  oil  and  water  meters,  alti- 
meter, tachometer,  inclinometer.  Below 
us  and  to  the  rear  works  the  wireless 
operator.  Far  back  in  the  hull,  under  the 
wings,  are  the  mechanicians. 

The  plane  flies  on  through  a  growing 
darkness.  The  NC-3  disappears.  We  have 
switched  on  our  lights,  and  send  a  message 
to  her  asking  that  she  turn  on  hers.  No 
response.  Something  seems  to  be  wrong. 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


NC-3  and  NC-l  in  the  air.    A  photograph  taken  from  a  naval  flying  boat 


I  International  Film  Service 


58° 


56° 


NEWFOUNDLAND 


G» If  of  St.  Lawrence 


NC-1  left  Halifax  May  10,8.45A.M. 

NC-3  left  Halifax  May  10,9.01  A.M. 
forced  to  return  to  Halifax 
starts  again  at  12.40  P.M. 


52° 


I  Halifax 
May  14,  1.07P.M. 
left  May  15,  11.47  A.M. 


NC-l  reached  Trepassey  Bay 
May  10,3.41  P.M. 

NC-3  reached  Trepassey  Bay 
May  10.7.31  P.M. 


ST.  PIERRE  I. 


Reached  Trepassey  Bay 
May  15,5.41  P.M. 


ATLANTIC        OCEAN 


$S~,  SABLE  I. 


58 


THE   MATTHEW6-NORTHRUP  WORKS,   BUFFALO,  N.  ¥. 

56°  54° 


Second  Leg,  U.  S.  Navy  Flying  Boats  NC-j,  NC-l  and  NC-4  fr°m  Halifax  to  Trepassey  Bay,  Newfoundland 

(Time  given  is  New  York  Standard) 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


43 


We  look  back  for  the  NC-i.  Never  dis- 
tinct, she,  too,  has  disappeared.  We  are 
alone,  with  1185  nautical  miles  still  to  go. 

The  sky  is  now  dark,  utterly  dark  save 
for  stars.  These  and  the  line  of  ocean 
where  the  stars  cease  give  the  pilot  his 
only  means  of  orientation.  The  engines 
labor  on.  Each  of  the  twelve  exhaust 
ports,  unmuffled,  sends  out  its  jet  of  flame 
as  the  burnt  gas  is  expelled.  In  the  vast- 
ness  and  invisibility  of  the  time  and  place 
those  red  tongues,  each  proclaiming  the 
adequacy  of  its  cylinder  eight  hundred  and 
fifty  times  a  minute,  are  marvellously  re- 
assuring. 

Now,  ahead  of  us,  a  swift,  narrow  stem 
of  flame  runs  up  the  sky,  bursts  into 
flower,  and  scatters  luminous  petals  across 
the  night.  The  star  shell  of  a  destroyer! 
In  a  minute  gem-like  lights  gleam  below, 
and  an  illumined  figure  glowing  on  the 
deck  of  the  vessel  tells  her  number  and 
gives  us  our  location.  Check  her  off  the 
chart! 

The  plane,  winging  her  way  at  a  thou- 
sand foot  elevation,  now  catches  on  wing 
and  motor  gleams  of  silver  thrown  from 
the  east.  An  edge  of  moon  has  appeared. 
Soon  the  whole  disc  has  arisen,  flooding 
the  world  with  pale  beauty.  The  pilot, 
visibility  increased  ten-fold,  relaxes  with  a 
sigh.  To  the  south,  however,  a  close,  sur- 
prising shape  brings  him  back  to  tenseness 
with  a  jerk.  Another  plane  flies  close,  too 
close  for  comfort.  The  NC-4  veers  aside 
from  the  friendly  but  dangerous  shape, 
and  is  soon  alone  once  more.  Probably 
she  has  passed  the  NC~3. 

So  we  might  ride  until  the  day  dawns 
faintly.  The  story  for  the  three  boats  is 


Photo,  J.  H.  Hare 


"Assimilation" 
But, — the  wind  blew  through  his  whiskers  just  the  same 

the  same.  Everything  has  gone  well.  The 
destroyers  have  been  checked  off  as  regu- 
larly as  railroad  stations;  the  motors  have 
functioned  as  faithfully  as  if  they  reposed 
on  test  blocks;  the  pilots  have  relieved 
one  another  every  half  or  three  quarters 


Photo,  International  Film  Se 
"There  She  Comes" 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


45 


of  an  hour.  Toward  morning  there  have 
been  sandwiches  and  coffee,  welcome  after 
the  long,  cold,  nervous  time  of  compara- 
tive inaction. 

Now,  however,  was  to  come  a  period 
of  difficulty. 

The  NC-4,  says  her  commander's  rec- 
ord, passed  destroyer  No.  i  5  before  trouble 
began.  Ahead  of  this  vessel  appeared  what 
seemed  an  area  of  rain,  but  proved  to  be 
fog,  driving  in  the  same  direction  as  the 
NC  herself.  Picking  up  destroyer  No.  16 


Landing  in  Trepassey  Bay 

in  spite  of  poor  visibility,  the  NC-4  missed 
No.  17,  and  for  a  time  flew  confusedly. 
The  boat  seemed  to  be  making  a  steep 
bank,  the  compass  whirling  aimlessly 
about,  and  visibility  merging  into  a  gray 
blanket  of  moisture.  Finally,  however, 
she  emerged  from  the  fog,  and  flying  at 
3000  feet  in  sunshine  and  blue  sky,  seemed 
to  have  outwinged  her  difficulties,  though 
a  white  plateau  of  billowing  vapor  below 
showed  that  the  surface  of  the  ocean  was 
still  shrouded  in  mist.  Clouds  and  fog 
soon  appeared  above  as  well  as  below,  and 
the  NC-4  sent  inquiries  as  to  surface  con- 
ditions. Destroyers  19  and  20  reported 
discouragingly,  but  No.  2 1  announced  that 


*  *  Trepassey  Country 


Photo,  J.  H.  Hare 


there  was  a  ten-mile  visibility,  and  the  fly- 
ing boat  descended.  Flying  low,  her  com- 
mander soon  saw  what  he  thought  to  be 
tide  waves.  Suddenly,  above  one  of  these 
waves  appeared  a  dim  line  of  rocks.  They 
had  found  Flores  !  Delightedly  they 
skirted  the  coast.  "And,"  says  Commander 
A.  C.  Read,  "as  we  rounded  a  point  a 
peaceful  farmhouse  came  into  view  in  the 
midst  of  cultivated  fields  on  side  hills. 
That  scene  appeared  to  us  far  more  beau- 
tiful than  any  other  ever  will." 

Elated,    reassured,     the    crew    thrilled 
with  revived  hopes.  "We  were  now  feel- 


"  Newfoundland  Fog" — off  Trepassey 


Photo.  J.  H.  Hare 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


The  "Take-off"  Country 


Photo.  J.  H.  Hare 


ing  quite  cocky.  .  .  .  The  engineer  as- 
sured me  there  was  sufficient  oil  and  gas 
left  to  make  Ponta  Delgada.  Why  stop  at 
Horta  then?" 

Their  jubilation  was  brief.  Dense  fog 
closed  in  again.  They  missed  Destroyer 
No.  23.  "No  Ponta  Delgada  for  us  to-day; 
any  port  would  look  good." 

They  had  begun  calculations  as  to 
the  course  necessary  to  rind  land,  when  a 
hole  in  the  fog  disclosed  the  northern 
sweep  of  Fayal  Island.  Horta,  to  the 
south,  must  be  just  around  an  aerial  cor- 
ner !  The  plane  flew  down  the  coast, 
and,  pitching  through  rough  air  which 
"tumbled  down  from  a  mountain,"  made 
a  landing  in  what  they  hoped  was  Horta 
harbor.  They  were  soon  convinced  that 
it  was  not.  No  matter !  Rising  again, 
they  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  U.  S.  S. 


NC~3  Starting  from  Trepassey 


Photo,  J.  H.  Hare 


Columbia,  visible  between  gusts  of  oblit- 
erating fog.  In  a  moment  they  had  reached 
her,  and  swept  down  at  the  end  of  fifteen 
hours  and  thirteen  minutes  to  the  com- 
pletion of  the  first  and  most  difficult  stage 
of  the  great  crossing. 

Not  so  fortunate  the  NC-i  and  the 
NC~3.  The  "Three,"  by  dawn  some  dis- 
tance behind  Lieut.  Commander  A.  C. 
Read,  U.  S.  N.  and  his  boat,  had  sighted 
no  destroyers  since  No.  13. 

"We  passed,"  says  Commander  H.  C. 
Richardson,  one  of  the  NC~3  pilots, 
"through  live  hours  of  rain  squalls  and 
fog,  so  thick  at  times  as  to  make  it  im- 
possible to  see  the  horizon  or  the  surface 
of  the  ocean." 

After  this  experience,  with  fifteen  and 
a  half  hours  of  travel  behind  her,  the 
NC~3  was  contemplating  a  landing  forty- 


The  "Home"  of  the  Scribes  at  Trepassey 


Photo,  J.  H.  Han- 


Photo.  J.  H.  Han- 


Taking  Weather  Observations  at  Trepassey 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


47 


The  NC-4  taxying  to  her  moorings,  Ponta  Delgada  Harbor,  Azores 


1  Underwood  &  Underwood 


live  miles  southeast  of  Fayal.  The  NC-i, 
last  of  the  three  to  start,  held  her  original 
position  with  reference  to  the  others. 

"We  did  not  meet  any  trouble,"  says 
Lieut.  Commander  P.  N.  L.  Bellinger, 
U.  S.  N.,  "until  we  got  into  the  fog  at 
1 1. 10  A.  M.  (Greenwich  Mean  Time) 
Saturday,  when  we  were  near  Station 
18." 

Once  in  the  fog,  the  NC-i  lost  her 
bearings,  and  decided  to  alight.  She  did 
so  at  i.io  P.  M.  She  was  then  about  100 
miles  west  of  Flores.  The  position  of  the 
NC~3  almost  two  hours  earlier  has  been 
noted.  Both  vessels  were  at  the  gates  of 


the  Azores.  Their  motors  were  in  perfect 
condition.  They  had  adequate  supplies  of 
fuel  for  several  hours  further  flight.  Fog 
alone  prevented  them  from  reaching  Fayal 
or  even  Ponta  Delgada. 

In  landing,  however,  both  boats  found 
the  ocean  heavier  than  they  expected. 
They  sustained  damage  from  high  waves 
which  made  the  resumption  of  flight  im- 
possible, even  if  a  take-ofF  on  so  heavy  a 
sea  could  have  been  managed.  The  NC-i, 
after  taxying  on  the  surface  for  live  hours, 
was  discovered  shortly  alter  6  P.  M., 
Greenwich  time,  by  the  Ionia.  At  6.20 
P.  M.  the  Ionia  s  boat  took  off  the  crew. 


48 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


International  Film  Service 


Commander  J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  and  his  crew  after  their  terrible  battle  with  the  sea  off  the  Azores 


NEWFOUNDLAND 

St-Jobns 


Left  Trepassey  Bay 
May  16,5.36  P.M. 


NC-3  off  her  course  in  fog  May  17,  5.15A.M. 

between  stations  17  and  18 
Reached  Ponta  Delgada 

under  her  own  power  May  19 


NC-I  down  on  water 
May  17,  8.10A.M.  200  milei 


Northwest  of  Faytl 
Sank  off  Corvo,  May  20 


Reached  Horta 

May  17,9.25  A.M 

left  May  20,8.45A.M 


Third  Leg,  U.  S.  Navy  Flying  Boats  NC-3,  NC-i  and  NC-4  from  Trepassey  Bay  to  Azores. 

(Time  given  is  New  York  Standard) 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


49 


U.  S.  Naval  Air  Service 


CREW  OF  THE  NC-4  AT  AZORES 

From  left  to  right — Pilot,    Lieut.  F.  F.  Stone,  U.  S.  C.  G.;    Chief  Machinist's  Mate,  E.  C.  Rhodes,  U.  S.  N.;  Pilot,  Lieut  W.  Hinton, 

U.  S.  N.;   Ensign  H.  C.  Rodd,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F.,  Radio  Operator;    Engineer,  Lieut.  J.  L.  Breese,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F. ; 

Lieut.  Commander  A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N.;  and  Admiral  Jackson 


An  attempt  was  made  to  tow  the  sea- 
plane, but  the  line  broke,  and  after  a  time 
the  first  Navy-Curtiss  flying  boat  disap- 
peared beneath  the  waves. 

Meanwhile,  the  twelve  foot  sea  on 
which  the  NC~3  came  down  damaged 
hull,  struts  and  control  connections.  It 
was  apparent  that  she  could  not  take  the 
air  again.  Her  radio  system,  though  allow- 
ing her  to  receive  messages,  could  not 
effectively  send  them.  Though  the  crew 
fixed  her  position  as  forty-five  miles  SOUth- 


ATLANTIC        OCEAN 


Fourth  Leg,  U.  S.  Navy  Flying  Boat  NC-4  fr°m  Horta 

to  Ponta  Delgada,   Azores 
(Time  given  is  New  York  Standard) 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


. 


Photo,  Edwin  Levick.  X.  Y. 

Lieut.  Commander  A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N.,  and  the  crew  of  the  NC-4  after  the  flight 


west  of  Horta,  the  wind  forbade  an  at- 
tempt to  taxy  in  the  known  direction  of 
Fayal.  The  only  possible  course  seemed 
one  with  the  wind,  i.  e.  eastward,  which, 
it  was  calculated,  would  carry  the  NC~3 
to  San  Miguel. 


The  "Mother  Ship"  Aroostook 


Night  came,  and  the  boat  was  buffeted 
by  wave  and  rain.  One  of  the  elevators, 
badly  damaged,  had  to  be  cut  loose.  The 
crew  took  turns  steering,  those  off  duty 
attempting  to  sleep.  With  morning,  in 
the  twenty-second  hour  of  surface  riding, 
the  left  wing  tip  was  washed  away.  One 
of  the  crew  crawled  out  on  the  right 
wing  and  clung  there,  deluged  occasion- 
ally by  waves,  to  keep  the  left  wing  from 
being  submerged.  Radio  messages  were 
received  telling  of  the  rescue  of  the  NC-i 
crew,  but  also  disclosing  to  the  NC~3 
that  those  who  were  searching  for  her 
were  looking  west  instead  of  south  of 
Flores.  Rescue,  then,  was  improbable. 
The  NC-3  must  save  herself.  A  crew 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


y   T    i    c       o    c   E 


Reached  Ponta 

May  20.10.25  A.M. 
left  May  27.6.18  A.M. 


Reached  Lisbon 

May  27.4.02  P.M. 

left  May  30. 2.23  A.M. 


THE  MATTHEW6-SORTMRUP  WORKS,   BUFFALO.  N.  V. 


Fifth  Leg,  U.  S.  Navy  Flying  Boat  NC-4  from  Ponta  Delgada  to  Lisbon,  Portugal 
(Time  given  is  New  York  Standard) 


with  radiator  water  to  drink  and  scant 
supplies  ot  chocolate  and  salty  sandwiches 
must  bring  a  damaged  hull  for  hundreds 
of  miles  over  seas  running  often  as  high 


as  thirty  feet.  Could  they  do  it?  Could 
the  vessel,  built  primarily  for  aerial  travel, 
make  such  an  ocean  voyage? 

They  were  riding  the  swells  with  these 


U.  S.  Sailors  wig-wagging  the  glad  news  to  ships  at  Lisbon,  Portugal 


International  Film  Service 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


53 


NC-4  at  Lisbon 


International  Film  Service 


thoughts  when  in  middle  morning,  across 
a  sea  clear  of  fog,  the  form  of  a  high 
mountain,  its  head  hidden  in  clouds, 
showed  ghostly  in  the  distance.  Pico! 
the  7,000  foot  volcanic  cone  of  the  highest 
peak  in  the  Azores  undoubtedly  lay  be- 
fore them.  Observations,  feverishly  taken, 
checked  with  the  testimony  of  their  eyes. 
They  were  forty-five  miles  southeast  of 
Fayal  . 

Should  they  make  directly  for  the  land 
they  saw?  The  tanks  held  a  two  hours' 
supply  of  fuel;  the  idea  was  feverishly 
alluring.  Sanity,  however,  whispered  the 
futility  of  such  a  course.  They  could  not 
safely  ride  against  the  waves  and  wind. 
Their  only  road  lay  eastward,  through 
another  night  of  tossing,  toward  Ponta 
Delgada.  They  must  watch  the  tangi- 
bility of  that  great  mountain  die  away  as 
they  planed  off  toward  an  island  they 
could  not  see. 

Who  can  describe  those  next  twenty- 
five  hours?  Coasting  backwards  over  the 
great  waves,  beaten  by  rain,  sleepless  and 
hungry  and  worn,  the  five  endured  more 
than  even  they  can  tell.  They  were  blown 
southward  for  a  time.  Thev  lost  a  second 


elevator.  The  right  wing  float  threatened 
to  come  loose.  Officers  trained  to  use  the 
most  advanced  navigating  instruments 
trailed  canvass  buckets  over  the  edge  of 
the  hull  to  assist  in  steering  their  craft. 

Constantly,  however,  observations 
showed  an  increasingly  favorable  position. 
At  length  they  calculated  that  they  could 
make  Ponta  Delgada  in  two  hours.  Then 
land  appeared, — farms,  vineyards,  roads,  a 
lighthouse!  Finally  the  U.  S.  S.  Harding 
became  visible,  racing  toward  them.  But 
they  did  not  want  help  now. 

"Stand  aside!"  they  signaled. 

They  taxied  over  the  breakwater  and 
into  the  harbor.  Crowds  lined  its  shores. 
Whistles,  sirens,  guns,  and  voices  made  a 
bedlam  of  the  afternoon  air.  Flags  waved 
gaily;  photographers  in  motor  boats  raced 
about;  "the  scene  was  one  never  to  be 
forgotten,  and  our  relief  from  the  long 
tension,  our  feelings  cannot  be  described." 

So  ended  a  fifty-two  hour,  205  mile 
journey  over  the  open  sea.  It  had  been 
made  in  a  flying  boat  by  officers  of  the 
American  Navy. 


©   International  Film  Service 

Congratulating  Lieut.  Commander  A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N. 
*  on  his  arrival  at  Lisbon 


:© 


h 
•*• 

U 


V — Sail  on  and  on! 


HE  gloriously  battered 
NC~3,  though  making 
port,  was  unable  to  con- 
tinue the  voyage  to  Por- 
tugal. The  NC-4,  ar- 
riving from  Horta  at 
Ponta  Delgada  on  May 
2Oth,  went  on  alone. 

"Behind  him  lay  the  gray  Azores— 
The  discoverer  of  the  Americas,  passing 
to  the  south  of  the  "Western  Islands"  in 
the  early  autumn  of  1492,  could  scarcely 
have  felt  more  sense  of  world  responsi- 
bility than  the  commander  of  the  flying 
boat  which  winged  its  way,  seventy  times 
faster  than  the  Maria,  in  opposite  direc- 
tion at  10.18  Greenwich  time  May  27, 
1919. 

The  weather  was  fair,  with  western 
winds  blowing  aside  the  mist  from  the 
wide,  clean-looking  streets  of  Ponta  Del- 
gada, and  revealing  rose  and  yellow 
churches,  barracks  and  forts  ;  with  pleas- 
ant houses  amid  vineyards,  cornfields  and 
orchards  of  the  hills  beyond. 

"A  happy  nation  or  a  successful  flight 
has  no  history,"  telegraphed  Walter  Dur- 
anty  from  Lisbon  nine  hours  and  forty 
minutes  later. 

And  indeed,  the  NC-4  had  a  compara- 
tively simple  time  of  it.  Two  thousand 
pounds  lighter  than  when  she  left  New- 
foundland, she  succeeded  in  taking  off" 


from  heavy  swells  at  the  harbor  mouth. 
Though  off  her  course  sufficiently  to  lose 
Destroyer  No.  3,  she  picked  it  up  again 
and  kept  it  the  remainder  of  the  way. 
Rain  and  mist  were  encountered,  but 
did  not  interfere  seriously  with  the  93 
statute  miles  per  hour  which  she  made. 
The  voyage  was  almost  a  triumphal 
parade. 

There  remained  only  one  more  ac- 
complishment,—  the  flight  to  Plymouth. 
Here,  on  May  3151,  a  pilot  of  Massachu- 
setts birth  was  to  set  foot  on  the  shores  of 
the  harbor  from  which  the  Pilgrim 
fathers  took  ship  for  a  new  world  three 
hundred  years  before.  Here,  after  a 
flight  of  3,936  nautical  or  4,526  statute 
miles,  made  in  a  flying  time  of  52  hours 
and  3 1  minutes,  Commander  Read  was 
to  receive  the  congratulations  of  British 


^* 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 
The  "Peace"  Markers 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


NC-4  on  arrival  at  Plymouth 


International  Film  Service 


and  American  officials,  to  clasp  hands 
with  the  daring  Hawker,  and  to  receive  the 
R.  A. F.  Cross.  He  had  thoroughly  demon- 
strated the  efficiency  of  the  NC  boats, 
the  ability  of  American  Naval  officers, 
and  the  quality  of  Naval  organization. 

It  is  all  over  now;  it  is  becoming  his- 
tory !  What  has  it  done  for  the  world  r 

It  has  given  the  watching  nations  a 
spectacle  of  imperishable  gallantry.  The 
bravery  of  the  attempt,  the  persistence 
under  hardship,  the  indomitable  courage 
in  peril  of  those  involved  will  long  echo 
about  the  first  trans-oceanic  flight. 


Captain  Tombs  of  Aroostook 

Flotilla  Commander  Captain  Crenshaw 

Captain  Ghent  of  Prairie 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


International  Film  Service 


Lieut.  Commander  A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N.,  and  his  crew  being  driven  through  the  streets  of  Plymouth 


It  has  established  a  record  of  six 
human  beings  carried  by  air  from  con- 
tinent to  continent,  of  seventeen  carried 
from  one  continent  to  the  islands  of  the 
other. 

It  has  made  havoc  with  time. 

In  the  days  of  Columbus  it  took  71 
days  for  his  caravals  to  cross  from  Palos 
to  the  Bahamas.  The  NC-4  went  from 
Rockaway  to  Plymouth,  more  than  twice 
the  distance  covered  by  Columbus,  in  less 
than  71  hours.  Ocean  navigation  by 
steam  became  an  assured  success  by  the 


voyage  of  the  Savannah  May  24,  1819, 
from  Savannah,  Georgia,  to  Liverpool, 
England.  Both  steam  and  sails  were  used 
in  this  vessel,  and  the  distance  was  cov- 
ered in  27  days.  The  fastest  ocean  pas- 
sage by  steamship  between  New  York 
and  Plymouth,  2962  miles,  was  that 
made  by  the  Kronprinzessin  Cecilie  in  five 
days,  7  hours  and  25  minutes  in  Septem- 
ber, 1909. 

The  fastest  Atlantic  ocean  passages  re- 
corded by  the  Cunarder  Mauritania— 
were  made  in  four  days,  ten  hours  and 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


59 


©  International  Film  Service 

Lieut.  Commander   A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N.,  carried  on  shoulders  of 

admiring  doughboys  and  sailors  on  arrival  at  Paddington  Station, 

outside  London,  June  I,  1919 


5 1  minutes,  and  in  4  days,  i  3  hours  and 
41  minutes  in  1909.  Ten  years  later  the 
NC-4  crossed  from  New  York  State  to 
England,  by  longer  route,  in  2  days,  7 
hours  and  33  minutes  of  actual  flying 
time. 

It  has  shown  that  the  Atlantic,  like 
other  barriers  to  the  growth  of  aviation, 
can  be  broken  down,  that,  in  a  word, 
flight  has  no  limit  in  the  tasks  it  may 
choose  and  accomplish. 

The  greatest  service  rendered,  however, 
was  that  of  pioneering.  The  Navy- 
Curtiss  boats  charted  a  course  through 
new  regions.  They  proved  that  flight  it- 


self offered  no  problems.  They  indicated 
what  the  real  problems  were  ;  ability  to 
fix  position  by  instruments,  ability  to  fly 
through  fog  to  an  unseen  goal,  ability  to 
alight  on  the  ocean  in  case  of  need  and 
to  sail  the  ocean  successfully  when  once 
upon  it.  These  problems  they  not  only 
indicated — they  partly  solved  them.  They 
gave  the  promise  of  a  successful  world- 
voyaging  aircraft.  Therein  lies  their 
triumph.  It  will  increase  in  significance 
with  years. 


Chew 


BA1 


BISC 


Reachec 
May  30,12 
Left  May  31, 

Ferrol 
.45  P  M. 
2.27A.M. 

Lisboi 

NC-4 * 

Reached  Lisbon 

May  27.4.02  P.M. 

left  May  30, 2.23  A. M 


Sixth  Leg,  U.  S.  Navy  Flying  Boat  NC-4  from  Lisbon  to 

Plymouth,  England 
I  Time  given  is  New  York  Standard) 


I 


The  Flight,  by  Lieut.  Commander  Albert  C.  Read,  U.S.N. 


>HE  seventeen  men  who  flew 
fromTrepassey  May  16  had, 
I  think,  one  feeling  in  com- 
mon. They  appreciated  the 
quality  of  the  NC  boats  and 
their  equipment.  A  big 
task  was  to  be  done.  These 
flying  boats  represented  big 
preparations  to  meet  it. 
To  the  flyer  this  sensation  was  gratifying.  It  was 
good  to  feel  that  in  scale  and  effectiveness  the 
expedition  of  which  you  were  a  part  marked  an 
advance  over  previous  ones.  It  was  good  to 
realize  that  between  you  and  the  ocean  was  a 
hull  with  which  you  could  land  and  navigate 
on  almost  any  sea.  It  was  comforting  to  know 
that  communication  with  the  world  was  assured 
by  a  radio  apparatus  of  unusual  excellence. 

The  roominess  of  the  ships  also  made  its 
subtly  reassuring  impression.  In  the  navigator's 
cockpit  of  the  NC-4  I  could  lean  forward  at 
my  lookout  or  sink  back  for  a  smoke.  I  could 
climb  out  of  my  seat  and  down  to  the  passages 
communicating  with  the  pilots.  I  could,  though 
I  never  chose  to,  stretch  out  and  sleep.  Un- 
consciously, one  got  from  such  roominess  a 
sense  of  the  size  and  strength  of  the  boat  and  a 
feeling  of  confidence  in  it. 

There  were  difficulties  in  connection  with  the 
Trans-Atlantic  flight.  There  were  also  unusual 
compensations.  The  Trepassey-Plymouth  voy- 
age has  been  compared  with  the  great  voyage 
of  1492.  Few  realize  how  much  harder  the 
first  trip  from  Europe  to  America  by  water 
was  than  the  first  trip  from  America  to  Europe 
by  air.  Columbus  was  proving  to  the  world 
something  which  he  believed.  We  were  proving 
to  the  world  something  the  world  believed  itself. 
Columbus  was  almost  alone  in  his  theories.  We 
had  the  support  of  almost  every  living  flyer, 
land  or  marine.  Columbus  had  seventy  days 
of  difficulties — we  had  two.  Columbus  had  a 
crew  in  mutiny  at  the  idea  of  going  forward — 
any  member  of  any  NC  crew  would  have  mutin- 
ied at  the  thought  of  turning  back. 


The  Navy-Curtiss  boatswere  efficient  in  flight. 
At  first  there  was  a  natural  doubt  with  respect 
to  the  motors.  We  hoped  nothing  would  go 
wrong,  but  perhaps  it  might.  As  hour  after  hour 
passed,  however,  and  the  engines  thundered  on 
with  never  a  miss  or  a  faltering,  we  felt  we  had 
something  behind  us  which  would  not  fail. 
After  several  hours  we  could  have  run  on  three 
motors,  and  toward  the  end  of  the  flight  it  would 
have  been  possible  to  go  successfully  on  two. 

The  extension  of  this  motor  efficiency  will  be 
a  point  of  departure  for  future  work.  Improve- 
ments such  as  the  use  of  gears  and  the  installa- 
tion of  separate  oil  systems  for  each  engine  will 
improve  the  motors  we  used  for  the  Trans- 
Atlantic  flight. 

From  such  details  we  should  go  to  the  con- 
sideration of  higher  horsepower  and  its  distribu- 
tion with  the  larger  craft  which  this  will  mean. 

Will  the  advance  be  rapid?  Will  there  be 
changes  as  important  to  the  world  as  the  dis- 
covery of  a  hemisphere?  To-morrow  must 
answer  for  itself.  Those  who  have  assisted  in 
the  first  ocean  flight  have,  I  hope,  furthered  the 
cause  of  aeronautical  education;  shown  the 
efficiency  of  naval  flying;  and  aroused  the  pub- 
lic to  further  possibilities.  As  for  the  future, 
this  is  certain:  any  one  who  to-day  declares 
anything  impossible  is  apt  to  bark  his  knuckles. 
Personally,  I  have  seen  so  many  incredible 
things  accomplished,  that  I  am  willing  to  be- 
lieve that  much,  which  now  seems  impossible, 
will  be  done.  I  have  often  wondered  if  Jules 
Verne  actually  believed  the  marvels  he  pre- 
figured in  his  tales  or  if  it  was  just  imagination 
with  him.  Certainly  he  often  hit  the  nail  on 
the  head.  Perhaps  prophecies  which  seem  amus- 
ing today  may,  like  his  visions,  find  a  quick 
fulfillment.  Perhaps  we  are  not  even  prophesy- 
ing up  to  the  future,  and  require  another  Verne 
or  Wells  to  shake  us  out  of  our  mental  slavery 
of  the  present. 


1  V 


I 


Departures  and  Arrivals  of  the  Navy-Curtiss  Flying  Boats,  on  the 
Trans-Atlantic  Flight,  May  8  to  May  31,  1919 

(New  York  time  is  used  throughout) 

FAR  ROCKAWAY,  NEW  YORK,  TO  TREPASSEY  BAY,  NEWFOUNDLAND 

MAY  8,  1919 

NC-i  NC-3  NC-4 

Took  off,  Far  Rockaway 10.04  A.M.      10.02  A.M.      10.03  A.M. 

Passed  Chatham  Light     .  1.47?.  M.        1.47?.  M.        i  .47  P.  M. 

MAY,   9,    1919 

Passed  No.  i      

Passed  No.  2      ...  3.10  P.M.       3.10  P.  M 

Passed  Cape  Sable    .    .  .    .    .      5 . 10  P.  M.        5 . 10  P.  M 

Arrived,  Halifax    ...  7.10?.  M.        7.00  P.  M 

MAY   10,  1919 

Took  off,  Halifax  .    .  7. 47  A.M.      11.40  A.  M 

Arrived  Trepassey     ....  2 . 45  P.  M.        6 . 30  P.  M 

MAY   14,  1919 

Took  off,  Chatham 9. 05  A.M. 

Arrived,  Halifax    .  i .  15  P.  M. 

MAY   15,  1919 

Took  off,  Halifax      9. 52  A.M. 

Arrived,  Trepassey ^.37?.  M. 

Distance:    1,000  nautical  miles. 

Flying  Time:    14  hours,  13  minutes  (NC-4). 


(g)  International  Film  Service 

From  a  stern  and  rockbound  coast — Lieut.  Commander  A.  C.   Read's  ship  rests  in  Plymouth  Harbor 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


}  International  Film  Service 

MAYOR  OF  PLYMOUTH  CONGRATULATING  LIEUT.  COMMANDER  A.  C.  READ,  U.  S.  N.,  AND  His  MEN 

Left  to  right — Rear  Admiral  Sir  A.  J.  Henniker-Hugan,  Admiral  Plunkett,  U.  S.  N. ,  and  the  Mayor  speaking 

TREPASSEY  BAY,  NEWFOUNDLAND,  TO  HORTA,  FAYAL  ISLAND,  THE  AZORES 

MAY   16—17,  *9'9 

NC-i  NC-3  NC-4 

Took  off,  Trepassey     >.* 6.09  P.  M.       6.06  P.  M.       6. 07  P.M. 

Out  of  sight  6.2oP.M.       6.2oP.M.       6. 20  P.M. 

Passed  No.     i 

Passed  No.    2 ....      7. 35  P.M.       7.35  P.  M.       7. 35  P.M. 

Passed  No.    3 8. 03  P.  M 

Passed  No.    4 

Passed  No.    5 

Passed  No.    6  ....  10.05  P.  M.      10.05  P.  M.      10.05  P.  M. 

Passed  No.    7  .  10.58  P.  M 

Passed  No.    8 1 1 . 29  P.  M. 

Passed  No.    9 12.10  A.  M 

Passed  No.  10 

Passed  No.  1 1 i .  50  A.  M. 

Passed  No.  12 

Passed  No.  13 3. 13  A.M.       2.  23  A.  M 

Passed  No.  14 3. 06  A.M. 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


67 


^    International  Film  Service 

Commander  J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  of  NC-3;   Lieut.  Commander  A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N.,  of  NC-4  and  Lieut. 

Commander  P.  N.  L.  Bellinger,  U.  S.  N.,  of  NC-l,  preceded  by  Rear  Admiral  Plunkett,  leaving  American 

Peace  Headquarters  at  Hotel  Crillon  in  Paris  after  visit  to  Admiral  Benson 

TREPASSEY  BAY,  NEWFOUNDLAND,  TO  HORTA,  FAYAL  ISLAND,  THE  AZORES — CONTINUED 

NC-i  NC-3  NC-4 

Passed  No.  15 

Passed  No.  1 6 ...      5. 17  A.  M 4. 30  A.M. 

Passed  No.  17 5-J5A.  M 

Passed  No.  18    ...                                                        .    .      6. 14  A.  M 5. 45  A.M. 

Passed  No.  19 6. 14  A.M. 

Passed  No.  20 8 . 10  A.  M 

Sighted  land 7. 35  A.M. 

Passed  No.  21 

Passed  No.  22 8  . 10  A.  M. 

Arrived  Horta 9.25  A.  M. 

Distance:  1,200  nautical  miles. 

Flying  Time:    15  hours,  18  minutes. 

HORTA,  FAYAL  ISLAND,  THE  AZORES,  TO  PONTA  DELGADA,  SAN  MIGUEL  ISLAND,  THE  AZORES 

MAY   20,  1919  Nc_4 

Took  off,  Horta 8  . 40  A.  M. 

Arrived,  Ponta  Delgada 10.24  A.M. 

Distance:  150  nautical  miles. 

Flying  Time:   i  hour,  44  minutes. 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic  69 

PONTA  DELGADA,  SAN  MIGUEL  ISLAND,  THE  AZORES  TO  LISBON',  PORTUGAL 

MAY   27,  1919  Nf>4 

Took  off,  Ponta  Delgada,  Azores 6.18  A.M. 

Passed  No.     i 7. 13  A.M. 

Passed  No.    2    .                                                                                                                   .  7 -38A.M. 

Passed  No.    3 

Passed  No.    4    .    .    .    . 8  . 54  A.  M. 

Passed  No.    5 9. 35A.M. 

Passed  No.    6 10.05  A.M. 

Passed  No.    7 10.40  A.  M. 

Passed  No.    8 n.i6A.  M. 

Passed  No.    9 12.18  P.M. 

Passed  No.  10 

Passed  No.  n i.ioP.M. 

Passed  No.  12    ..                                                                                                            ...  2.05  P.M. 

Passed  No.  13 2.38  P.M. 

Passed  No.  14 3.16  P.M. 

Arrived  Lisbon 4.01  P.  M. 

Distance:  800  nautical  miles. 

Flying  time:  9  hours,  43  minutes. 

LISBON,  PORTUGAL,  TO  PLYMOUTH,  ENGLAND 

MAY   30,  1919  NC4 

Took  off,  Lisbon .  1.24  A.M. 

Passed  Station  Ship  A      .  4  • Io  A.  M. 

Arrived,  Figueira 7.21  A.  M. 

Took  off,  Figueira     .    .                                                                                    9. 28  A.M. 

Arrived,  Ferrol      12. 45  P.M. 

MAY  31,  1919 

Took  off,  Ferrol ...  2 . 27  A.  M. 

Passed  Station  Ship  No.  2  .  .  .  .  3. 43  A.M. 

Passed  Station  Ship  No.  4  .  .  ...  5.06  A.  M. 

Passed  Station  Ship  No.  5 .  6. 05  A.M. 

Arrived,  Plymouth 9. 26  A.M. 

Distance:  775  nautical  miles. 

Flying  Time:  n  hours,  26  minutes. 

RECORD  MADE  BY  NC-4  FROM  ROCKAWAY  TO  PLYMOUTH 
The  record  of  the  NC-4  from  Rockaway  to  Plymouth  follows: 

Air  line  Time  in          Knots 

in  nautical  the  air             per 

Date                                   Course                                                                                                  Start                                       Arrived                      miles  Hours,    Min.      hour 

May    8 — Rockaway  to  Chatham  Light      .    .    .    10.04  A.M.        1.47?.  M.       190  3     43     51 

May  14— Chatham  to  Halifax 9.05  A.  M.        1.15  P.M.       340  4     10     85 

May  15 — Halifax  to  Trepassey 9. 52  A.M.        5.37P.M.       461  6     20     58 

May  16-17 — Trepassey  to  Horta 6. 07  P.M.       9.25A.M.     1200  15     18     81.7 

May  20 — Horta  to  Ponta  Delgada 8. 40  A.M.      10.24  A.M.       I5°  :     44     88 

May  27 — Ponta  Delgada  to  Lisbon 6.1 8  A.M.       4.01  P.M.       800  9     43     81.3 

May  30 — Lisbon  to  Mondego  River 1.24  A.M.        2.44A.M.       100  i     20     75 

May  30 — Mondego  River  to  Ferrol 9. 38  A.M.      12.45?.  M.       —°  3       7     66 

May  31 — Ferrol  to  Plymouth 2.27A.M.       9.26A.M.       4/5  6     59     72 

Total  air  line  distance  3,936  nautical  miles. 

Time  in  the  air  from  Rockaway  to  Plymouth  52  hours  and  31  minutes. 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 


HOME  VICTORIOUS 

Lieut.  Commander  Albert  Gushing  Read,  U.  S.  N.,  Captain  of  the  Trans-Atlantic  Seaplane,  the  NC-4,  arriving  at  Hoboken  from 

France  on  the  transport  Zeppelin 


The   Log  of  the  Transatlantic   Flight 


[EREWITH  is  presented  the 
log  of  the  Trans-Atlantic 
Flight  of  the  squadron 
of  NC  planes  during  the 
course  of  which  three  of 
the  planes  reached  the 
Azores,  while  one  of 
them  went  the  full  journey  to  Plymouth. 
The  Navy  Department  instructed  the  sea- 
plane commanders  to  use  Greenwich  mean 
civil  time  for  the  purposes  of  the  flight 
in  the  following  order: 

"Greenwich  mean  civil  time  shall  be 
used  for  communication  purposes.  Green- 
wich mean  civil  time  is  the  civil  time  of 
the  meridian  to  Greenwich,  the  day  com- 
mencing at  midnight  and  the  hours  num- 
bered from  one  to  23.  All  radio  operators 
shall  keep  their  watches  and  clocks  set  at 
Greenwich  mean  civil  time." 

The  normal  difference  in  time  between 
New  York  and  Greenwich  is  five  hours, 
which  is  equivalent  to  saying  that  when 
it  is  noon  in  New  York  it  is  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  at  London.  Due  to  the 
daylight  saving  system  in  effect  in  this 
country  now,  however,  the  difference  is 
reduced  by  one  hour. 

Here  is  a  comparative  table  reducing 
Greenwich  mean  time  to  Washington 
Summer  Time  which  is  the  same  as  New 
York  Summer  Time: 


Washington  and  New  York 
G.  M.  Time  Time 

O 8.00P.M. 

i 9.ooP.M. 

2 10. 00  P.M. 

3 1 1.  oo  P.M. 

4 12  Midnight 

5 i. oo  A.M. 

6 i.ooA.M. 

7 3.  oo  A.M. 

8 4.  oo  A.M. 

9 5.ooA.M. 

10 6. oo  A.M. 

ii 7.ooA.M. 

12 S.ooA.M. 

13 9. oo  A.M. 

14 lo.ooA.  M. 

15 1 1 .  oo  A.  M. 

1 6 12  Noon 

17 i.  oo  P.M. 

18 2.ooP.M. 

19 3. oo  P.M. 

20 5.  oo  P.M. 

21 5.ooP.M. 

22 6.00P.M. 

23 7 .  oo  P.  M . 

^  ^  jf 

MAY,  8,  1919 

At  10.00  A.  M.  Commander  J.  H.  Towers, 
U.  S.  N.,  sent  word  that  the  planes  had  left 
Rockaway.  Within  two  minutes  this  informa- 
tion had  been  received  on  the  station  ships  be- 
tween Cape  Cod  and  Halifax.  Within  five  min- 
utes it  had  been  received  on  the  U.  S.  S.  "Balti- 
more" at  Halifax.  Before  the  planes  had  gone 
thirty-four  miles  this  information  regarding  the 
time  of  start,  and  instructions  for  ships  at  sea 
to  restrict  the  use  of  their  radio  apparatus,  had 
been  received  by  the  battleships  of  the  U.  S. 
fleet,  by  the  destroyers  in  Newfoundland  and 
by  Admiral  Knapp  in  London  and  Admiral 
Benson  in  Paris. 


72 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 


Heroes  of  Ocean  Flight  coming  in  on  S.  S.  Zeppelin — the  transport  Zeppelin  coming  up  the  bay  escorted 

by  smaller  craft  and  flying  boats  and  planes 


At  the  same  time  Commander  J.  H.  Towers, 
U.  S.  N.,  sent  a  message  to  the  "U.  S.  S.  Balti- 
more" at  Halifax  directing  her  to  report  the 
conditions  of  the  weather  at  Halifax  at  noon. 
At  1.13  P.  M.,  Commander  J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S. 
N.,  received  a  message  which  had  been  relayed 
from  the  "Baltimore"  stating  the  weather  at 
Halifax  at  noon.  This  message  was  as  follows: 

"Weather  cloudy,  pressure  29,  service  wind 
WNW  thirty-seven  miles,  temperature  64,  sea 
moderate,  visibility  good,  base  of  low  clouds 
2,000  forming  from  Northwest  noon  May  8th." 

At  noon  the  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
Mr.  Roosevelt,  filed  the  following  message  at 
the  department  Communication  Office: 


"Commander  J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  USS 
NC-3-  Delighted  with  successful  start;  good 
luck  all  the  way." — (Signed)  ROOSEVELT. 

This  message  was  delivered  to  Commander 
J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  when  his  seaplane  was 
off  Chatham  Light. 

At  1.30  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
information  that  the  planes  had  been  sighted  at 
the  Chatham  Air  Station. 

At  2.00  P.  M.  the  message  received  at  the 
Navy  Department  direct  from  Commander  J. 
H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  that  the  NC  Seaplane  Di- 
vision had  passed  Chatham  Light  at  1.47.  Com- 
mander J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  sent  this  mes- 
sage at  1.50  P.  M. 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


73 


At  2.12  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
a  resume  of  the  conversation  between  the  NC-3 
and  NC-4  which  indicated  that  the  NC-4  was 
having  oil  trouble  and  was  running  on  three 
motors  and  might  have  to  land. 

At  2.30  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
information  that  the  NC-j  was  still  having 
motor  trouble,  but  had  passed  over  Station 
Ship  No.  i. 

At  2.45  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
intercepted  conversation  from  the  NC-i  to  the 
NC-4  which  indicated  that  the  NC-4  was  sl1^ 
in  the  air. 

At  2.54  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
more  intercepted  conversation  between  the 
planes  regarding  radio  compass  directions. 

At  3.20  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
information  that  two  seaplanes  had  passed  three 
miles  from  Station  Ship  No.  2,  at  3.10  P.  M. 

At  3.22  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
more  intercepted  conversation  between  the 
NC-i  and  NC-3,  in  which  the  NC-i  told  the 
NC-3  that  they  bore  340°  from  Station  Ship 
No.  2,  and  which  indicated  that  the  NC-3  was 
checking  up  her  navigation. 

At  3.25  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
information  that  NC-i  was  asking  NC-4  whether 
she  was  O.  K.  and  also  that  the  NC-3  was  as^- 
ing  Station  Ship  No.  2  for  radio  compass  signals. 

At  3.26  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
information  that  the  NC-3  was  agam  asking  for 
radio  compass  signals  in  order  that  she  might 
check  up  her  navigation. 

At  3.41  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
information  that  the  NC-3  was  asking  Station 
Ship  No.  3  for  radio  compass  signals  in  order 
that  the  NC-3  m'ght  steer  a  proper  course  for 
the  Station  Ship.  The  NC-3  a\so  asked  NC-i 
where  the  NC-4  was  and  the  NC-i  replied  that 
the  NC-4  had  her  oil  pump  fixed  all  right. 

Another  part  of  the  communication  was  the 
forwarding  of  a  message  from  Admiral  Knapp 
which  read  as  follows: 

"British  Air  Ministry  have  made  arrange- 
ments to  extend  every  facility  and  convenience 
to  NC  flying  boats  upon  arrival  at  Plymouth 
after  Trans-Atlantic  flight.  In  case  of  emer- 
gency landing  near  English  Coast,  Air  Station 
at  Tresco  in  Scilly  Islands  may  be  utilized  as 
temporary  repair  or  refueling  point."  —(Signed 
KNAPP. 

This  message  was  placed  on  cable  in  London 
in  the  night  of  May  ~th  and  was  delivered  to 


Commander  Towers  on  the  NC-3  while  he  was 
off  Chatham  Light. 

At  4.12  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
information  from  the  NC-i  and  NC-3  tnat  they 
were  very  busy  checking  up  their  navigation 
from  the  "U.  S.  S.  Delphy"  which  was  Station 
Ship  No.  3.  The  "Delphy"  sent  radio  signals 
continuously  in  order  that  the  planes  might 
plot  their  position  with  their  radio  compass  and 
steer  a  straight  course  for  Cape  Sable. 

At  4.35  P.  M.  the  NC-3  called  the  NC-i  and 
NC-4  ar>d  asked  the  NC-i  if  she  was  directly 
astern  of  the  NC-3-  The  NC-4  did  not  answer. 
The  Navy  Department  received  this  informa- 
tion at  4.40  P.  M.  and  could  have  sent  it  direct 
by  radio  to  Admiral  Knapp  in  London  and  Ad- 
miral Benson  in  Paris  so  that  they  would  have 
received  it  ten  minutes  after  Commander  J.  H. 
Towers,  U.  S.N.,  sent  his  message  to  theNC-i. 

At  5.11  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
information  from  Cape  Sable  that  the  NC-i 
and  NC-3  had  passed  over  the  radio  station  at 
that  place  at  5.10  P.  M. 

At  5.  13  P.  M.  the  Naval  radio  station  at  Bar 
Harbor  sent  the  5.00  P.  M.  weather  report 
which  had  been  received  from  the  '  'U.  S.  S. 
Baltimore "  at  Halifax.  The  planes  received 
this  easily  and  thus  knew  at  5.13  P.  M.  what  the 
weather  conditions  at  Halifax  were  at  that  time. 

At  5.35  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  received 
information  that  the  planes  had  not  yet  sighted 
the  "U.  S.  S.  Ludlow." 

At  6.34  the  Navy  Department  received  in- 
formation that  at  6.25  the  "U.  S.  S.  Delphy" 
asked  the  "U.S.  S.  McDermut"  for  data  regard- 
ing the  position  of  the  NC-4.  The  "  McDermut" 
replied:  "When  the  NC-4  passed  at  2.30  she 
was  six  miles  to  the  left  of  NC-i  and  NC-3-  No 
report  from  her  regarding  passing  other  stations. 
Am  now  searching  for  NC-4." 

At  6.37  the  Navy  Department  received  in- 
formation that  the  NC-i  was  in  direct  radio 
communication  at  6.10  with  the  "U.  S.  S.  Balti- 
more" at  Halifax. 

At  6.47  P.  M.  the  Navy  Department  was  in- 
formed that  the  "U.  S.  S.  Delphy"  sent  follow- 
ing to  the  "McDermut"  at  6.31  P.  M.:  "Shall 
we  assist  in  searching?"  The  "Kimberly"  sent 
"Two  seaplanes  passed  three  miles  to  south- 
ward at  3.10  P.  M."  The  "McDermut"  sent 
the  following  message  immediately  to  the  "Kim- 
berly": "Search  on  course  239  degrees  true 
from  7.00  to  8.00  P.  M.;  speed  25  knots." 


74 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


At  7.50  P.  M.  the  "U.  S.  S.  Baltimore"  sent 
the  following  message  to  the  Chief  of  Naval 
Operations  which  was  received  by  him  at  8.00 
P.  M.:  "NC-i  and  NC-j  arrived  Halifax  7.00 

P.  M."  ,, 

MAY  12,  1919 

Commander  J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  on  this 
date  sent  to  the  Navy  Department  the  follow- 
ing summary  of  flights,  May  8th  to  loth: 

"Left  Rockaway  in  NC-3  accompanied  by 
NC-4  and  NC-i  at  10.00  A.  M.,  May  8th,  pro- 
ceeding in  formation  along  south  coast  of  Long 
Island;  thence  over  Vineyard,  south  to  Chat- 
ham; thence  to  Seal  Island.  Received  radio 
from  NC-4  at  2-IQ  P-  M.  that  they  were  running 
on  three  engines  and  might  be  compelled  to 
land.  NC-4  dropped  astern  and  shortly  after 
was  lost  sight  of.  It  was  believed  that  she  had 
turned  to  land  near  the  'McDermut'  which 
was.  barely  visible  off  our  port  quarter. 

"From  Seal  Island  proceeded  in  company 
with  NC-i  to  Nova  Scotia  and  up  the  coast  to 
Halifax,  NC-3  landing  at  7.00  P.  M.  and  NC-i 
at  7.10  P.  M.  Started  refueling  from  the 
'Baltimore'  immediately  and  completed  at 
2.00  A.  M.,  May  gth.  Made  arrangements  to 
leave  for  Trepassey  at  8.00  A.  M.,  May  gth,  but 
discovered  cracked  type  on  pusher  propeller 
of  NC-3  and  three  propellers  of  NC-i  were  in 
similar  condition.  Obtained  four  hubs  from 
Canadian  air  station  and  replaced  damaged 
propellers  with  spares  from  'Baltimore.'  On 
attempting  start  on  the  morning  of  May  loth, 
the  starter  on  pusher  engine  of  NC-3  broke. 
Signalled  NC-i  to  proceed  to  Trepassey.  Re- 
placed starter  and  left  Halifax  at  8.15  A.  M. 

"Landed  38  miles  northeast  of  Halifax  and 
examination  showed  starboard  tractor  propeller 
type  5381,  had  cracked  tip.  Returned  to  Hali- 
fax, arriving  at  10.30  A.  M.  Removed  propeller 
from  center  tractor  engine  and  put  it  on  star- 
board tractor.  Left  Halifax  at  11.40  A.  M. 
and  proceeded  to  Trepassey,  landing  at  6.30 
P.  M.  The  total  time  from  Halifax  to  Tre- 
passey was  NC-3  s'x  hours  and  fifty  minutes; 
NC-i  six  hours  and  fifty-six  minutes. 

"Each  seaplane  spent  approximately  40 
minutes  maneuvering  for  landing  at  Trepassey 
under  very  adverse  weather  conditions.  Winds 
as  high  as  45  miles  an  hour  were  encountered, 
although  fairly  smooth  air  was  found  at  3,500 
feet.  Engines  functioned  well  on  both  legs. 
Radio  telegraph  maintained  excellent  com- 
munication. Navigation  was  rendered  diffi- 


cult by  the  high  velocity  and  varying  directions 
of  winds  and  necessity  of  flying  high  to  avoid 
rough  air,  but  means  are  regarded  as  satisfac- 
tory. 

"Are  engaged  in  overhauling  and  refueling 
NC-3  and  NC-i  and  will  start  for  Azores  when 
conditions  are  favorable." 

MAY  14,  1919 

The  Navy  Department  received  a  dispatch 
at  4.30  this  afternoon  from  the  "U.  S.  S.  Balti- 
more" at  Halifax  stating  that  the  NC-4,  which 
resumed  its  flight  from  Chatham  this  morning 
at  9.05  for  Trepassey  Bay  would  not  leave 
Halifax  for  Trepassey  until  daybreak  to-morrow 
morning. 

The  NC-4,  which  left  Rockaway  with  the 
NC-i  and  NC-3  on  Thursday  morning,  May 
8th,  was  forced  by  engine  trouble  to  make  a 
landing  off  Chatham  Light,  and  after  spending 
the  night  on  the  water  there  was  towed  in  the 
next  morning  to  the  Naval  Air  Station  at 
Chatham.  The  run  from  Chatham  this  morn- 
ing to  Halifax  was  made  in  approximately  4 
hours,  a  distance  of  342  miles,  an  average  of 
practically  85  miles  an  hour. 

Shortly  after  noon  a  message  was  received 
from  the  plane  stating  that  Lieutenant  Com- 
mander A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N.^  expected  to  land 
at  Halifax  making  a  stop  only  of  a  few  minutes 
before  proceeding  to  Trepassey.  A  later  re- 
port stated  that  he  would  not  leave  Halifax 
until  daybreak  tomorrow. 

Reports  from  Trepassey  received  at  the  De- 
partment to-day  stated  that  weather  conditions 
along  the  route  from  Trepassey  to  the  Azores 
were  continuing  to  improve,  with  indications 
that  they  would  be  even  better  to-morrow,  and 
that  the  NC-i  and  NC-3  probably  would  not 
attempt  a  start  before  to-morrow  on  the  long 
leg  to  the  Azores  as  at  that  time  the  NC-4  was 
expected  to  reach  there  by  sunset. 

The  message  from  Trepassey  received  at  3.47 
P.  M.  was  as  follows: 

"Off  shore  storm  from  Cape  Cod  eastward 
has  passed  north,  leaving  light  variable  winds 
from  Trepassey  to  Azores  and  the  sea  has  sub- 
sided. Conditions  therefore  fair  for  a  start 
this  evening  for  the  long  leg  of  the  flight,  but 
the  arrival  of  NC-4  probably  will  delay  it  until 
to-morrow  when  weather  will  be  even  more 
favorable  between  here  and  Azores. 

"Conditions  from  Chatham  to  Trepassey 
very  good;  expect  NC-4  to  arrive  about  sun- 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


75 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 

Crews  of  NC  planes  home  again — the  commanders  and  crews  of  the  NC  planes  on  the  bridge  of  the  transport  Zeppelin 


down  to-day.  Seaplane  crews  in  fine  condi- 
tion for  start  to-day." 

Early  this  afternoon  the  Department  received 
a  message  from  the  "U.  S.  S.  Baltimore"  at 
Halifax,  stating  that  the  C-$  passed  over  Hali- 
fax at  4.45  P.  M.  and  that  the  NC-4  arrived 
there  at  i.io  P.  M.  It  stated  Lieutenant  Com- 
mander A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N.,  expected  to  leave 
for  Trepassey  at  daybreak  to-morrow  morning. 

The  following  is  the  log  kept  by  the  radio 
office  at  the  Navy  Department: 

At  9.21  A.  M.  the  Department  received  the 
following:  "NC-4  commenced  flight  at  9.05 
A.  M.  local  summer  time." 


At  9.30  A.  M.  the  following  was  received: 
NC-4  at  9-25  A.  M.  stands  off  on  course  for 
Halifax  convoyed  by  HS-2 — 1850 — 1916. 

A  little  later  word  was  received  that  the  HS-2 
1850 — 1916  returned  Chatham  at  10.41  A.  M. 
because  unable  to  keep  up  with  the 
NC-4. 

At  i i.io  A.  M.  the  NC-4  reported  that  they 
could  hear  the  radio  station  at  Norfolk  wire 
4  motors  were  running. 

At  11.17  the  following  message  from  Mr. 
Roosevelt  to  Lieutenant  Commander  A.  C. 
Read,  U  S.  N.  was  dictated: 

"What  is  your  position  ?   All  keenly  interested 


76 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 

The  U.  S.  transport  Zeppelin  coming  up  the  bay  with  her  escort 
of  craft,  seaplanes  and  airplanes 

in  your  progress.  Good  luck. — (Signed)  ROOSE- 
VELT." 

This  was  then  sent  immediately  to  the  naval 
radio  station  at  Bar  Harbor  from  where  it  was 
retransmitted  by  radio  to  the  Navy  Seaplane 
NC-4. 

At  1 1. 20  A.  M.  the  following  reply  was  re- 
ceived at  the  Navy  Department  from  Lieu- 
tenant Commander  A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N. : 

"Roosevelt,  Washington — Thank  you  for 
good  wishes.  NC-4  is  2O  miles  southwest  of 
Seal  Island  making  85  miles  per  hour. — (Signed) 
READ." 

The  Navy  Department  immediately  trans- 
mitted the  following  to  Paris,  London,  San 
Francisco  andPanama  Canal  and  to  ships  at  sea: 

Following  received  1520  GMT  direct  from 
seaplane  NC-4  to  Roosevelt: 

"Thank  you  for  good  wishes.  NC-4  's  2O 
miles  southwest  of  Seal  Island  making  85  miles 
per  hour." 

Lieutenant  Commander  A.  C.  Read's  reply 
was  received  in  France,  England  and  Cali- 
fornia at  1 1. 21  A.  M.  Many  ships  at  sea  had 
received  this  at  11.26  A.  M. 

At  12.39  -P-  M.  information  was  intercepted 
from  the  plane  that  Commander  Read  expected 
to  stop  at  Halifax  and  then  start  for  Trepassey, 
Newfoundland  again.  At  12.36  P.  M.  a  mes- 
sage was  intercepted  from  the  plane  stating 
that  the  NC-4  would  land  in  Halifax  for  a 
few  minutes. 

At  12.30  the  following  conversation  was 
intercepted  between  Barrington  Passage  Radio 
Station  and  the  NC-4: 

"You  look  good.  Took  a  snap.  Would  you 
like  print?" 


The  NC-4  replied:    "Glad  to  have  some." 

At  1.27  P.  M.  the  Department  received  in- 
formation that  the  NC-4  had  arrived  at  Halifax 
at  1.15  P.  M. 

At  4.30  P.  M.  the  Department  received  a 
message  that  the  NC-4  intended  to  leave  Hali- 
fax at  daylight  Thursday. 

Following  is  the  Log  of  Messages  received  at 
Navy  Department  during  flight  from  Trepassey, 
N.  F.,  to  the  Azores  with  the  despatches  ar- 
ranged in  chronological  order  according  to  time 
of  receipt: 

MAY  16,  1919 

6.03  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
plane NC-3  began  taxying  for  Azores  flight. 
2036  GMT  (4.36  P.  M.  Wash,  time)." 

6.23  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
plane NC-4  began  taxying  for  Azores  flight. 
2113  GMT  (5.13  P.  M.  Wash,  time)." 

7.10  P.M.  from  "U.S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
plane NC-i  began  taxying  for  Azores  leg.  20^3 
GMT  (4.53  Wash,  time)." 

7.17  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
plane NC-4  took  °ff  water  on  Azores  flight. 
2136  GMT  (5.36  P.  M.  Wash,  time)." 

7.27  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
plane NC-4  landed  in  Trepassey  Harbor.  2153 
GMT  (5.53  P.  M.  Wash,  time — after  circling 
harbor)." 

7.52  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
plane NC-4  took  off  water  on  Azores  flight. 
2207  GMT  (6.07  P.  M.  Wash,  time)." 

7.54  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":   "Sea- 
plane NC-3   ^ft  water  for  Azores  leg.     2206 
GMT  (6.06  P.   M.  Wash,   time)."    Note— see 
8.32  P.  M. 

7.55  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
plane NC-i    took  off  water  on   Azores   flight. 
2209  GMT  (6.09  P.  M.  Wash,  time)." 

8.27  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
planes NC-i,  NC-2,  NC-3  passed  from  sight 
at  2220  GMT  (6.20  P.  M.  Wash,  time)." 

8.30  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
planes NC-i,  NC-3,  NC-4  passed  from  sight 
on  historic  voyage  at  2220  GMT  (6.20  P.M. 
Wash,  time)." 

8.32  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
plane NC-3  ^ft  Trepassey  2204  GMT  (6.04 
P.  M.  Wash,  time)." 

8.41  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Sea- 
plane NC-i  left  water  at  2136  GMT  (5.36  P.  M. 
Wash,  time),  on  Azores  leg." — (Delayed.) 

8.44  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":   "Sea- 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


77 


plane  NC-4  left  Trepassey  2136  GMT   (5.36 
P.  M.  Wash,  time)."— (Delayed.) 

9.08  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":   "Sea- 
planes NC-3,  NC-i  left  water  2211  GMT  (6.1 1 
P.  M.  Wash,  time),  on  Azores  leg." — (Delayed.) 

9.09  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":   "Sea- 
planes NC-4,  NC-3,  NC-i   left  Trepassey  at 
221 1    GMT   (6.ii    P.  M.    Wash,    time),    for 
Azores."     (See  755,  752,  832.     2209  taken  as 
official  time  of  start  by  Navy  Department.) 

Received  at  11.12  P.  M.  from  Trepassey: 
"Out  of  sight  in  direction  of  Mistake  Point  at 
2220  GMT.  Weather  conditions  for  Azores  run 
good,  with  present  wind  continuing  during 
night  should  reach  Azores  in  nineteen  hours. 
Crews  in  pink  of  condition,  happy  to  leave  on 
long  1372  knot  run." 

1 1. 1 2  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook":  "Last 
night  new  engine  placed  on  NC-4.  All  planes 
given  complete  inspection  this  morning,  warmed 
and  given  finishing  touches  in  early  afternoon. 
Wind  fresh  West  late  afternoon;  favorable  for 
start.  NC-3  got  underway  taxying  at  2036 
GMT  (4.36  P.  M.  Wash,  time),  NC-i  got 
underway,  taxying  at  2056  GMT  (4.56  P.  M. 
\Vash.  time).  NC-4  got  under  way  taxying  at 
2113  GMT  (5.13  P.  M.  Wash.  time).  NC-4 
stopped  all  motors  at  2118  GMT  (5.18  P. 
M.  Wash,  time),  but  began  taxying  again, 
after  delay  of  four  minutes,  at  2122  GMT 
(5.22  P.  M.  Wash.  time).  All  planes  taxy- 
ing around  harbor  to  warm  up  motors.  NC-4 
got  off  the  water  at  2137  GMT  (5.37  P.  M. 
Wash,  time),  and  after  circling  around  harbor 
and  to  the  mouth  of  Mutton  Bay,  she  landed 
in  Trepassey  Harbor  again  at  2153  GMT  (5.53 
P.  M.  Wash,  time)  on  account  of  seeing  other 
planes  not  yet  up.  All  planes  made  a  long  run 
down  the  harbor  three  points  off  the  wind  and 
took  off,  NC-3  leading  at  2206  GMT  (6.06 
P.  M.  WTash.  time),  NC-4  following  closely  at 
2207  GMT  (6.07  P.  M.  W7ash.  time),  NC-i  in 
the  rear  at  2209  GMT  (6.09  P.  M.  Wash.  time). 
They  were  flying  low  and  circling  around  point 
across  from  the  mouth  of  Mutton  Bay.  Three 
giant  planes  passed  out  of  sight  in  the  direction 
of  Mistake  Point  at  2220  GMT  (6.20  P.  M. 
Wash.  time).  Weather  conditions  for  Azores  run 
good,  with  present  wind  continuing  during  night 
should  reach  Azores  in  nineteen  hours.  The 
crews  are  in  the  pink  of  condition  and  are  happy 
to  leave  on  the  long  1372  knot  run." 

11.44  P-  M-  from  "U-  S-  S-  Prairie":    "All 


seaplanes  passed  Station  No.  6  at  0205  GMT 
(10.05  P-  M-  Wash.  time)." 

11.50  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Prairie":  "Planes 
passed  Station  Ship  No.  3.  NC-i  passed  at 
2403  GMT  (8.03  Wash,  time),  last  plane  passed 
at  0015  GMT  (8.15  P.  M.  Wash,  time)." 

MAY  17,  1919 

At  12.24  A.  M.,  from  naval  radio  station,  Bar 
Harbor:  "Intercepted  at  12.10,' NC-4,  sending 
on  450  meters  wave  length  says,  'Passed  at 

r  » 
4.14. 

MESSAGES    FROM    PLANE    TO    PLANE 

At  12.35  A-  M.,  from  naval  radio  station,  Bar 
Harbor:  "  Intercepted  at  1 2.26  A.  M.,  communi- 
cation between  NC-4  ar>d  Cape  Race  radio  sta- 
tion: 'I  am  receiving  interference,  go  ahead 
again.  Thanks.'  At  12.27  heard  NC-i  call 
Station  Ship  No.  9  and  say,  'Answer." 

At  12.45  A-  M.,  from  naval  radio  station,  Bar 
Harbor:  "Intercepted  at  12.30  A.  M.:  'No.  9 
from  NC-i,  find  out  if  that  is  you  that  we  are 
heading  for.— (Signed)  NC-i.'  At  12.34  A.  M.: 
'NC-i  from  NC-4.'  At  12.33  A-  M-:  <N°-  9 
from  NC-i.'  At  12.35  A-  M-:  <N°-  9  fr°m 
NC-i.'  At  12.35  A-  M-:  'NC-3  from  NC-4- 
Answer." 

At  12.36  A.  M.,  Bar  Harbor  called  NC-4  on 
1,500  meters  wave  length. 

At  12.45  A-  M.,  from  the  naval  radio  station, 
Bar  Harbor:  "Intercepted  at  12.44  A-  M.: 
'NC-i.  From  what  station  was  that  I  was  just 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 

Seaplane  greets  NC  Flyers  returning  onS  .S.  Zeppelin 
Naval  seaplane  flying  over  5.  5.  Zeppelin 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


'Home  Again" 


Photo,  J.  H.  Hare 


signalled   to  on    1,500  meters  wave  length?— 
(Signed)  NC-4." 

At  1 2.50  A. M.,  from  "U.S.S.Prairie" :  "  Planes 
passed  Station  No.  2  at  23.35,  G.  M.  T.,  (7.35 
P.  M.,  Washington  time)." 

At  1.45  A.  M.,  from  naval  radio  station,  Bar 
Harbor:  "Intercepted  at  12.30  A.  M.,:  'NC-i 
from  NC-4.  Answer.'  At  1.35  A.  M.:  'NC-3 
fromNC-i.  Answer.  I  have  a  message  for  you.' 
At  1.35  A.  M.,  navy  radio,  Cape  Race,  from 
NC — :  'I  have  received  your  signals.  We 
passed  Station  Ship  No.  10  at  about  4.50  P.  M.' ' 

At  1.53  A.  M.:  "Station  Ship  No.  12  from 
NC-4:  'Make  V's  so  that  I  can  tell  if  you  are 
near.'  At  1.54  A.  M.,  from  NC-i:  'Made  15 
miles  and  300  degrees  true.'  At  1.56  A.  M., 
from  NC-i :  'Received  everything  O.  K.  I  have 
finished  my  communication.' ' 

At  2.17  A.  M.,  from  naval  radio  station,  Bar 
Harbor:  "Intercepted  at  2.05  A.  M.,  'NC-3 
from  NC-4,  answer.'  At  2.10  A.  M.,  'Radio 
Cape  Race." 

At  2.47  A.  M.,  from  naval  radio  station,  Bar 
Harbor:  "Intercepted  at  2.16  A.  M.:  'Radio 
Cape  Race,  from  NC-4,  received  your  message. 
Thanks.'  At  2.21  A.  M.:  'Radio  Cape  Race, 
from  NC-i,  What  ship  or  station  is  that?  All 
well  here,  and  we  are  in  commercial  radio  com- 
munication. Good  morning.  Cape  Race,  from 
NC-i.'  At  2.20  A.  M.:  'NC-3,  fr°m  NC-i, 
Was  that  you?'  At  2.30  A.  M.:  'NC-4  from 
NC-i,  was  that  527  or  627?'  At  2.36  A.  M.: 
'Radio  Station,  Cape  Race,  from  NC-4/  At 
2.36  A;  M.:  'NC-i,  have  you  heard  anything  of 
NC-4?  We  have  just  passed  Station  Ship  13. 
Signed,  NC-i.'  At  2.53  A.  M.:  'Thanks  to  the 


'SS.  Norger'.    Good  wishes.'"  (Same  plane  was 
calling  Station  Ship  18.) 

SIGNALS    GETTING    WEAKER 

At  3.56  A.  M.,  from  naval  radio  station,  Bar 
Harbor:  "Last  heard  of  seaplanes  at  3.21  A.M., 
and  signals  were  getting  weaker.  However, 
freak  work  may  avail  itself  early  in  the  morning, 
and  it  is  probable  that  we  may  hear  seaplanes 
until  6  A.  M." 

At  4.30  A.  M.,  from  the  "Melville",  at  Ponta 
Delgada:  "Seaplane  NC-4  passed  Station  Ship 
No.  14,  at  7.06  G.  M.  T.  (3.06  A.  M.  Washing- 
ton time)." 

At  5. 56  A.M.,  from  the  "Columbia"  at  Horta: 
"Seaplane  NC-i  passed  Station  Ship  No.  13  at 
7.13  G.  M.  T.  (3.13  A.  M.  Washington  time)." 

At  7.04  A.  M.,  from  the  "Prairie":  "NC-4 
passed  Station  Ship  No.  n,  at  5.50  G.  M.  T. 
(1.50  A.  M.  Washington  time)." 

At  8.45  A.  M.,  from  naval  radio  station,  Bar 
Harbor:  "Progress  of  three  seaplanes  from 
Trepassey  to  Azores;  ahead  of  estimated  dis- 
tance 06.25  G.  M.  T.  by  125  knots.  Above  time 
planes  reported  passed  Station  Ship  13,  6.50 
knots  out.  Cape  Race  still  in  communication 
with  NC-4." 

At  8.58  A.M., from  the  "Columbia"  at  Horta: 
"NC-4  passed  Station  18  at  09.45  G.  M.  T., 
(5.45  Washington  time).  NC-3  passed  Station 
13  at  06.23  G.  M.  T.,  (2.23  Washington  time). 
NC-i  passed  Station  18  at  10.14  G.  M.  T.,  (6.14 
Washington  time).  NC-i  passed  Station  16  at 
09.17  G.  M.  T.,  (5.17  Washington  time)." 

At  9.32  A.  M.,  from  the  "Columbia"  at  Horta: 
"NC-4  passed  Station  n  at  12.10  G.  M.  T., 
(8.10  Washington  time)." 

At  9.47  A.  M.,  from  the  "Melville":  "NC-i 
passed  Station  No.  16  at  09.17  G.  M.  T.  (5.17 
Washington  time).  NC-4  passed  Station  No. 
1 8  at  09. 45  G.  M.  T.  (5.45  Washington  time)." 

At  10.07  A.  M->  from  tne  "Melville" :  "  Last  re- 
port received,  NC-4  passed  Station  No.  16  at 
08.30  G.  M.  T.  (4.31  Washington  time).  NC-i 
passed  Station  No.  13  at  07.13  G.  M.  T.  (3.13 
Washington  time).  NC-3  passed  Station  No.  9 
at  04.10  G.  M.  T.  (12.10  A.  M.  Washington 
time)." 

At  10.59  A.  M.  the  Navy  Department  re- 
ceived a  message  sent  from  the  "Columbia"  at 
Horta  at  13.25  G.  M.  T.  (9.25  A.  M.,  Washing- 
ton time)  reading:  "NC-4  arrived  Horta." 

At  11.05  A-  M->  from  the  "Melville":  "NC-4 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


79 


reported  sighted  land  at  11.35  G.  M.  T.  (7.35 
Washington  time)." 

At  1 1. 06  A.  M.,  from  the  "Melville":  "NC-4 
passed  Station  No.  19  at  10.14  G.  M.  T.  (6.14 
Washington  time).  NC-3  between  stations  No. 
17  and  No.  18  at  9.15  G.  M.  T.  (5.15  Washing- 
ton time),  but  off  course.  NC-4  passed  Station 
No.  22  at  12,10  G.  M.  T.  (8.10  Washington 
time).  Weather  foggy." 

At  1 1. 08  A.  M.,  from  the  "Melville":  "NC-4 
passed  Station  No.  22  at  12.10  G.  M.  T." 

At  1 1. 10  A.M.,  from  the  "Columbia"  at  Horta 
to  Naval  Radio  Station  at  Arlington:  "Follow- 
ing message  received  from  NC-4:  'We  have 
picked  up  land  again;  think  it  is  Pico." 

At  1 1. 1 1  A.M.,  from  the  "Melville":  "Last  in- 
formation received  from  NC-3  at  °9-l5  G.  M.  T. 
(5.15  Washington  time):  'We  are  off  our  course 
somewhere  between  Station  17  and  Station  18." 

NC-3    OFF    ITS    COURSE 

At  1 1 . 1 2  A.  M.,  from  the  "Melville" :    "  Latest 

information  received:  NC-4  passed  Station  22 
at  12.10  G.  M.  T.,  (8.10  Washington  time). 
NC-i  passed  Station  18.  NC-3  off  course  some- 
where between  Station  17  and  Station  18." 

At  11.46  A.M., from  the  "Prairie":  "Progress 
of  three  seaplanes  from  Trepassey  to  Azores 
ahead  of  estimated  distance  at  06.25  G.  M.  T. 
(2.25  Washington  time)  by  125  knots.  At 
above  time  planes  reported  passed  Station  13, 
650  knots  out.  Cape  Race  still  in  communica- 
tion with  NC-4." 

At  2  P.  M.,  from  the  "Melville":  "NC-4  ar- 
rived at  Horta  this  morning.  Weather  condi- 
tions Ponta  Delgada:  "Weather  around  islands 
misty,  with  frequent  rain  squalls." 

At2.ioP.M.,from  the  "Prairie":  "When  con- 
sidering extraordinary  performance  of  NC 
planes,  all  on  load  of  1,630  gallons  of  petrol  and 
six  men,  except  the  NC-3,  wifn  crew  of  five  men, 
Lieutenant  (j.  g.)  B.  Rhodes,  U.  S.  N.  not 
taken.  With  Rhodes,  NC-3  would  have  carried 
185  excess  of  any  other  plane.  Successful  start 
due  in  large  measure  to  tireless  work  of  crews  of 
seaplane  plus  co-operation  all  officers  and  men 
of  Trepassey  ships.  Aerography  most  important 
factor.  Arrangements  for  weather  reports  com- 
plete and  accurate." 

At  3.30  P.M.,  from  the  "Columbia,"  at  Porta: 
"NC-4,  at  Horta,  waiting  for  favorable  weather 
before  proceeding  to  Ponta  Delgada.  Not  ex- 
pected to  leave  until  to-morrow." 

At  4.43  P.  M.,  the  Navy  Department  received 


from  the  "Columbia"  at  Horta  a  cablegram  filed 
at  19.30  G.  M.  T.,  (3.30  Washington  time),  read- 
ing: "NC-i  reported  passing  Station  No.  20  at 
12. 10  G.  M.  T.  (8.10  Washington  time).  Ap- 
parently for  Corvo.  Was  forced  to  the  surface 
by  dense  fog.  Destroyers  scouting  the  vicinity." 

SOS    FROM   THE    NC-I 

At  7.07  P.  M.,  Washington  time,  the  Navy 
Department  received  this  message  from  Admiral 
Jackson  on  the  "Melville"  at  Ponta  Delgada: 
"Received  at  15.40  Grenwich  mean  time  (11.40 
Washington  time)  from  the  NC-i, 'I  S  W,  S  O 
S,  landing  now,  NC-i,  we  want  bearings.  Lost 
in  fog  about  position  20.'  This  is  the  latest  in- 
formation. Following  destroyers  are  searching: 
The  'Phillip,'  'Waters,'  'Harding,'  'Dent.' ' 

At  7.09  P.  M.,  Washington  time,  the  Navy 
Department  received  this  message  from  Ad- 
miral Jackson:  "NC-3  to  east  of  Station  No.  17 
at  59.1,  Greenwich  mean  time  (5.15  A.  M., 
Washington  time).  Slightly  off  course." 

At  7.17  P.  M.,  Washington  time,  the  Navy 


Photo,  International  Filir 

Trans-Atlantic  Flyer  and  wife  who  welcomed  him  home 
Lieut.  Commander  and  Mrs.   Albert  C.   Read 


8o 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


Department  received  from  Admiral  Jackson: 
"Weather  much  improved.  Sea  visibility  ten 
miles,  but  low  clouds  in  hills.  Wind  shifting  to 
northward." 

At  8.46  P.  M.,  Washington  time,  the  Navy 
Department  reported  this  message  from  the 
"Columbia"  at  Horta:  "NC-i  forced  to  land  at 
12.19  G.  M.  T.  (8.19  A.  M.  Washington  time), 
near  Corvo.  NC-4  at  Horta.  Last  news  of 
NC-3  at  9.15  G.  M.  T.  (5.14  A.  M.,  Washing- 
ton time),  when  she  asked  for  compass  signals 
near  Station  No.  18.  Destroyers  now  searching 
for  both  planes.  Destroyer  'Harding'  in  position 
latitude  39  degrees  50  -minutes,  longitude  30 
degrees  50  minutes,  on  course  289,  speed  22 
knots,  reports  hearing  NC-i  signals  at  10.27 
G.  M.  T.  (4.27  P.  M.  Washington  time).  Sig- 
nals getting  stronger  as  approaching." 

At  10.55  P-  M.,  the  Navy  Department  re- 
ceived this  cablegram  from  the  "Columbia"  at 
Horta:  "  'U.  S.  S.  Harding'  reports  crew  of  NC-i 
safe  on  board  steamship  'lona.'  Plane  was  being 
towed,  but  tow  line  parted.  Latitude  39  degrees 
40  minutes,  longitude  30  degrees  24  minutes." 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 
Lieut.  Commander  Albert  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N., 

of  NC-4  welcomed  home 

Lieut.  Commander  Albert  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N.,  being  welcomed  by 
Rear  Admiral  Glennon  on  his  arrival  in  Hoboken 


MAY  18,  1919 

Received  at  8.54  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Jackson 
at  Ponta  Delgada: 

Following  received  from  NC-4:  "W7eather 
conditions  unfavorable.  Will  not  attempt  flight 
this  morning.  08.318  G.  M.  T.  (4.31  A.  M. 
Washington  time)."  Sent  at  08.518  G.  M.  T. 
(4.50  A.  M.  Washington  time). 

Received  at  9.37  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Jackson 
at  Ponta  Delgada: 

"No  information  regarding  NC-3-  Have  di- 
rected destroyers  east  of  Station  No.  16  to 
search  and  report."  Sent  at  10.418  G.  M.  T. 
(6.40  A.  M.  Washington  time). 

Received  at  3.55  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jackson 
at  Ponta  Delgada: 

"Following  received  from 'U.  S.  S.  Harding' : 
'Report  plane  NC-i  broken,  lower  planes  badly 
damaged.  Pontoon  missing.  Boat  floating  high. 
No  serious  damage  apparently.  'Fairfax'  will 
tow  to  Horta  as  soon  as  practicable,  depending 
on  state  of  sea.'"  11.518  G.M.T.  (7.51  W'ashing- 
ton  time).  Sent  at  12.018  G.  M.  T.,  (8.00  A.  M. 
Washington  time). 

Received  at  4.15  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jackson 
at  Ponta  Delgada: 

"Present  weather  conditions  westerly  gale, sky 
overcast,  visibility  eight  miles,  sea  rough.  Fore- 
cast continues  strong  southwesterly  or  westerly 
winds  to-day,  becoming  westerly  to  north- 
westerly and  diminishing  in  velocity  Sunday 
night  or  early  Monday  morning.  13.018  G.  M 
T.  (9  A.  M.  Washington  time)." 

Received  at  4.17  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jackson 
at  Ponta  Delgada: 

"All  available  destroyers  joining  scouting  line 
north  from  Corvo,  scouting  to  westward. 
'Columbia'  directing  scout  line.  'Texas'  and 
'Florida'  have  been  ordered  to  join  search  for 
NC-3.  12.218  G.  M.  T.  (8.20  A.  M.  Washing- 
ton time)." 

Received  at  4.15  P.  M.  from  Rear-Admiral 
Jackson: 

"Present  weather  conditions,  westerly  gale, 
sky  overcast,  visibility  eight  miles,  sea  rough. 
Forecast  from  continuous  strong  southwesterly 
or  westerly  winds  to-day,  becoming  westerly,  to 
northwesterly  and  diminishing  in  velocity  Sun- 
day night  or  early  Monday  morning.  13.018 
G.  M.  T.  (9  A.  M.  Washington  time)." 

Received  at  6.07  P.  M. :  "No  information  con- 
cerning NC-3-  Have  directed  destroyers  east  of 
No.  16  to  search  and  report. — 10.14.  KNAPP." 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


81 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 

Commanders  and  members  of  the  crews  of  the  Trans- Atlantic  NC  planes  on  their  arrival  at  Hoboken 

from  France  on  the  transport  Zeppelin 


Received  at  7. 1 8  P.M.  from  "U.S.S.Columbia" 
at  Horta: 

"NC-i  right  wing  badly  broken,  pontoon 
carried  away,  elevators  broken,  fabric  left  wing 
ribs  badly  damaged.  Condition  of  sea  too  rough 
to  salvage  plane.  'Fairfax'  standing  by  awaiting 
better  conditions.  Crew  of  NC-i  in  good  shape; 
now  on  board  'Columbia'  at  Horta.  NC-4  in 
good  condition  and  waiting  for  favorable 
weather  before  proceeding  to  Ponta  Delgada. 
Scouting  line  scouting  to  westward  for  NC-j. 
Strong  northwesterly  winds  and  rough  sea  pre- 
vailing. 16.118  G.  M.  T.  (12.10  P.  M.  Wash- 
ington time)." 

Received  at  6.53  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jackson 
at  Ponta  Delgada: 

"Crew  of  NC-i  safe  on  board  'U.  S.  S. 
Columbia.'  18.418  G.  M.  T.  (2.40  P.  M. 
Washington  time)." 

Received  at  7.28  P.  M.  from  "U.  S.  S.  Co- 
lumbia" at  Horta: 

"Strong  northwest  winds,  rough  sea,  barome- 
ter steady  at  29.70.  18.518  G.  M.  T.  (12.50 
P.  M.  Washington  time)." 

Received  at  9.25  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jackson 
at  Ponta  Delgada: 


"Conditions  Ponta  Delgada,  weather  clear- 
ing, barometer  rising,  wind  falling  to  northern. 
Conditions  vicinity  of  Flores,  wind  20  miles  per 
hour.  Conditions  vicinity  of  Flores  considered 
better  from  latest  reports.  No  inform'ation  re- 
ceived concerning  NC-j.  22.108  G.  M.  T. 
(6.00  P.  M.  Washington  time)." 

MAY  19,  1919 

Received  at  9.58  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Jackson 
at  Ponta  Delgada: 

"Following  instructions  received  from  'Roch- 
ester' :  'Use  all  available  destroyers  west  of  Ponta 
Delgada  and  NC-4,  if  practicable,  to  make  or- 
ganized search  for  NC-j.  Sent  at  08.419  G.  M. 
T.,  (4.40  A.  M.  New  York  time).' ' 

Received  at  10.02  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Jack- 
son: 

"Fairfax*  standing  by  NC-i,  30  miles  east  of 
Corvo.  Both  wings  smashed,  one  pontoon  miss- 
ing. Lieutenant  Commander  P. N.L.Bellinger, 
U.  S.  N.,  reports  she  will  not  be  in  condition  to 
continue  flight.  Sent  at  08.319  G.  M.  T.  (4.30 
A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  1 1 .05  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Jackson : 

"Scouting  line  position  at  07.30  G.   M.  T. 


82 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 

WIVES  AND  CHILDREN  OF  NC  FLYERS  WAIT  TO  GREET  AVIATORS  ON  LANDING 

Left  to  right — Mrs.  H.  C.  Richardson  and  daughter   Margaret,  Mrs.  P.  Talbot,  Mrs.  Walter  Hinton,  Mrs.  Albert  C.  Read,  Mrs.  J.  C.  Montfort, 
Mrs.  Patrick  N.  Bellinger,  Mrs.  John  H.  Towers,  Mrs.  James  L.  Breese,  Jr.  and   daughter  Frances 


(3.30  A.  M.  New  York  time).  Latitude  39.50 
north,  longitude  38.48  west.  Course  270  degrees, 
true  speed  eight  knots.  Sent  at  10.319  G.  M.  T. 
(6.50  A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  11.44  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Jack- 
son: 

"Stockton'  has  seven  destroyers  with  her  on 
search.  Speed  thirteen  knots.  Sent  at  11.419 
G.  M.  T.  (7.40  A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  11.46  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Jack- 
son: 

"Not  practicable  to  employ  NC-4  on  search. 
She  will  proceed  to  Ponta  Delgada  as  soon  as 
weather  permits,  preparatory  for  flight  to 
Lisbon.  Sent  at  10.519  G.  M.  T.  (6.50  New 
York  time)." 

Received  at  1.32  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jack- 
son: 


"Wreck  of  NC-i  in  latitude 40.08  north,  longi- 
tude 29.22  west.  Impossible  to  work  until  sea 
moderates.  Boat  has  lost  considerable  buoyancy 
overnight  and  may  sink  in  another  twenty-four 
hours.  Weather  conditions  unchanged.  Sent  at 
11.319  G.  M.  T.  (7.30  A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  1.35  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jack- 
son: 

"NC-4  wiH  leave  for  Ponta  Delgada  as  soon 
as  weather  is  suitable.  At  present  heavy  squalls 
and  rains  prevailing.  It  is  doubtful  if  NC-4  can 
start  to-day.  Sent  at  11.510  G.  M.  T.  (7.50 
A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  2.20  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jack- 


son: 


"NC-3  sighted  on  water  seven  miles  from 
Ponta  Delgada  under  own  power.  Sent  at 
16.1196.  M.T.  (i2.ioA.  M.  New  York  time)." 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


Received  at  2.36  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jackson: 
"Weather  at  noon:  barometer  30.94,  rising 
now  steadily,  wind  west,  twenty-five  miles  per 
hour.  Visibility  twelve  miles.  Moderate  sea. 
Forecast  for  afternoon,  generally  fair  with  pos- 
sible small  local  rain  squall  with  slight  increase 
of  wind.  Wind  between  245  and  327  degrees  and 
22  to  32  miles.  Sent  at  12.119  G.  M.  T.,  (8.10 
A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  3.32  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jack- 


son: 


"Following  orders  given:  'Scouting  line  too 
far  west,  should  search  to  eastward  with  dis- 
patch. Sent  at  14.119  G.  M.  T.  (10.10  A.  M. 
New  York  time).": 

Received  at  7.08  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Jack- 
son: 

"Weather  at  16.00  G.  M.  T.  (12  o'clock  noon 
New  York  time),  barometer  29.94  steady,  wind 
west  30  miles,  sea  moderate,  visibility  except 
during  local  rain  squalls.  Forecast:  wind  will 
remain  westerly,  probably  decreasing  in  force, 
with  local  rain  squalls.  Sent  at  16.319  G.  M.T. 
(12.30  P.  M.  Washington  time)." 

Received  at  the  Navy  Department  at  7.17 
P.  M.  from  Commander  J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N., 
at  Ponta  Delgada,  for  delivery  to  Mrs.  Towers, 
wife  of  the  Commander  of  the  Trans-Atlantic 
flight  squadron: 

"Mrs.  Towers,  1715  igth  Street.  'Safe  and 
well.'— (Signed)  JACK." 

Received  at  11.04  P-  M.:  "NC-4  plane  will 
leave  for  Ponta  Delgada  at  7.00  G.  M.  T.  (3.00 
A.  M.  Washington  time),  to-morrow  morning, 
if  weather  is  favorable." 

Received  at  11.08  P.  M.:  "Weather  8.00 
P.  M.:  Barometer,  29.94,  wind  thirty  T.  W7.  M., 
visibility  12  miles,  choppy  sea.  Forecast:  Direc- 
tion and  velocity  of  wind  will  remain  the  same; 
Tuesday  fair,  with  westerly  winds,  twenty  to 
thirty  miles.  21.00  G.  M.  T.  (5.00  P.  M.  Wash- 
ington time)." 

May  20,  1919 

Received  at  1.15  A.  M.:  "If  weather  con- 
ditions hold,  expect  NC-4  to  arrive  at  Ponta  Del- 
gada and  start  for  Lisbon  2ist  or  22d.  00.52 
G.  M.  T.  (9.50  P.  M.  Washington  time)." 

Received  at  4.27  A.  M.:  "NC-4  m  Horta  in 
good  condition,  weather  bound.  Will  proceed 
to  Ponta  Delgada  at  earliest  moment;  will  dis- 
patch as  soon  thereafter  as  she  is  refueled  and 
weather  permits.  All  stations  for  fourth  leg 
are  covered  by  destroyers.  NC-3  arrived  at 


Ponta  Delgada  17.50  G.  M.  T.  (5.50  Washing- 
ton time).  She  sailed  205  miles  after  landing 
at  13.30  G.  M.  T.  on  i7th,  southwest  of  Pico; 
most  remarkable  exhibition  of  pluck,  skill  and 
seamanship.  Impossible  to  use  NC-3  f°r  fourth 
leg;  center  engine  struts  badly  damaged  and 
boat  leaking,  personnel  O.  K.  NC-i  landed 
about  latitude  30-40,  longitude  30-24  on  I7th, 
personnel  taken  ofF  by  Greek  steamer  'Ionia'  on 
1 7th,  now  on  board  'Columbia',  O.  K.  NC-i 
total  wreck,  capsized  and  may  sink  before  it 
can  be  towed  into  Horta.  22.10  G.  M.  T.  (7.10 
P.  M.  Washington  time)." 

Received  at  7.52  A.  M.:  "Time  used  in 
sending  messages  is  fifteenth  meridian  time. 
09.22  (6.22  A.  M.  Washington  time)." 

Received  at  9.48  A.  M.:  "NC-4  leaving 
Horta  12.40  G.  M.  T.  for  Ponta  Delgada.  11.45 
G.  M.  T.  (8.45  A.  M.  Washington  time)." 

Received  at  9.53  A.  M.:  "Barometer  29.88, 
rising;  wind  west,  20  miles,  with  frequent  rain 
squalls;  sea  smooth,  visibility  between  squalls 
12  miles.  Forecast  for  morning:  rain  squalls. 
08.50  G.  M.  T.(5-5o  A.  M.  Washington  time). " 

Received  at  11.17  A.  M.:  "NC-4  arrived  at 
Ponta  Delgada  I4.24  G.  M.  T.,  all  O.  K.,  13.25 
G.  M.  T.  (10.25  A-  M-  Washington  time)." 

Received  at  1.25  P.  M.:  "Intercepted  by 
naval  radio  station  at  Bar  Harbor;  Carnarvon 
press  reports  that  at  13.00  G.  M.  T.  nothing 
yet  has  been  heard  of  Hawker." 

Received  at  4  P.  M.:  General  summary  of 
situation  is  as  follows:  "NC-i  sank  at  sea;  all 
personnel  rescued.  NC-3  at  moorings  in  Ponta 
Delgada  in  very  badly  damaged  condition;  both 
lower  wings  wrecked,  wing  pontoon  gone,  tail 
badly  damaged,  hull  severely  racked  and  leak- 
ing badly.  Is  being  disassembled  and  will  be 
shipped  to  New  York.  NC-4  at  mooring  at 
Ponta  Delgada  in  excellent  condition  and  will 
proceed  to  Lisbon  as  soon  as  weather  permits. 
All  personnel  in  excellent  condition;  all  very 
minor  casualties  to  certain  of  NC-i  crew.  (12.30 
P.  M.  Washington  time)." 

Received  at  4.24  P.  M.: 

"General  summary  of  situation  is  as  follows: 

'NC-i  sank  at  sea;  all  personnel  rescued. 

'NC-3  at  moorings  in  Ponta  Delgada  in  very 
badly  damaged  condition;  both  lower  wings 
wrecked,  wing  pontoon  gone,  tail  badly  dam- 
aged, hull  severely  racked  and  leaking  badly. 
Is  being  disassembled  and  will  be  shipped  to 
New  York. 


. 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


'NC-4  at  mooring  at  Ponta  Delgada  in  ex- 
cellent condition  and  will  proceed  to  Lisbon  as 
soon  as  weather  permits. 

'All  personnel  in  excellent  condition;  all  very 
minor  casualties  to  certain  of  NC-i  crew. 
(12.30  P.  M.  Washington  time)'." 

Received  at  6.48  P.  M.  from  Commander 
J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  filed  at  Ponta  Delgada 
at  1.40  P.  M.  (Washington  time):  "Follow- 
ing submitted  by  commanding  officer  NC-4: 
'NC-4  look  off  Trepassey  10.05  G.  M.  T.  (6.05 
Washington  time),  May  16,  following  NC-j  and 
followed  by  NC-i.  Separated  from  others  at 
dark.  Sea  smooth,  wind  astern,  about  1 2  knots; 
average  altitude  800;  power  plant  excellent. 
Each  destroyer  sighted  in  turn,  some  consider- 
ably out  of  position.  At  lyth,  having  passed 
1 6  destroyers  which  was  the  last  one  sighted 
until  after  passing  Corvo,  we  ran  into  a  fog  and, 
climbing  above,  up  to  3,300  feet,  at  11.27  G.  M. 
T.  (7.27  A.  M.  Washington  time),  we  picked 
Flores.  Then  headed  for  and  picked  up  de- 
stroyer 22.  Weather  clearing.  Again  encoun- 
tered fog  and  missed  23  but  picked  up  Fayal 
and  landed  Horta  at  13.23  G.  M.  T.,  May  I7th 
(9.23  A.  M.  Washington  time). 

'Secured  astern  'U.  S.  S.  Columbia',  elapsed 
time  being  fifteen  hours,  eighteen  minutes,  and 
average  speed  78.40  All  personnel  excellent. 
NC-4  required  slight  repairs,  completed  same 
day.  Held  at  Horta  by  weather  until  May  20. 
Left  that  day  at  12.39  G.  M.  T.,  arrived  at 
Ponta  Delgada  14.  24,  (10.24  A-  M.  Washington 
time),  in  good  condition.  Expect  to  leave 
for  Lisbon  May  2ist,  weather  permitting." 

Received  at  8.21  P.  M.,  May  2oth,  from  Ad- 
miral Jackson: 

"Weather  conditions  at  7.30  P.  M.,  barom- 
eter 30.13  inches,  rising  continuously.  Wind 
northwest,  10  miles.  Weather  fair.  Visibility 
very  good,  sea  smooth.  Forecast:  Tuesday 
night  and  Wednesday  fair;  wind  will  be  be- 
tween 270  and  315  degrees,  12  to  15  miles,  and 
conditions  all  along  the  course  improving." 

Sent  at  4.30  P.  M.  Washington  time. 

MAY  21,  1919 

Received  at  12.17  -^-  M.,  May  2ist,  from 
Admiral  Jackson: 

"Weather  conditions  at  11.30  P.  M.,  barome- 
ter, 30.21  inches,  rising  continuously;  weather 
fair;  upper  and  surface  winds  light  to  moderate 
northwest;  condition  along  Lisbon  route  im- 
proving; winds  over  the  route  generally  between 


1.50  and  3.30  degrees,  of  moderate  velocity; 
western  portion  somewhat  cloudy,  but  becoming 
more  clear." 

"Washington  time,  8.30  P.  M." 

Received  31.3.15,  May  2ist,  A.  M.,  from 
Commander  J.  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.: 

"Have  ordered  Commander  R.  A.  Lavender, 
U.  S.  N.  and  Lieutenant  J.  S.  Sadenwater,  U.  S. 
N.  R.  F.  to  take  passage  on  Government  vessel 
to  United  States  and  report  to  Bureau  of  Navi- 
gation. Have  ordered  Boatswain  L.  R.  Moore, 
U.  S.  N.  to  return  to  New  York  on  'Melville' 
in  charge  of  parts  of  NC-3-  Recommend  that 
NC-3  be  placed  out  of  commission  and  that 
NC-i  be  stricken  from  the  navy  list.  Com- 
mander of  the  destroyer  force  has  placed  the 
'Stockton'  at  my  disposal.  Request  authority  to 
proceed  with  remainder  of  personnel  of  NC-i 
and  NC-3  by  'Stockton'  to  Plymouth,  England, 
to  join  the  'U.S.S.  Aroostook',  as  accounts  and 
effects  of  personnel  are  on  that  vessel." 

"10.32  P.  M.,  Washington  time." 

Received  at  3.55  A.  M.,  May  2ist,  from 
Admiral  Jackson: 

"W7eather  conditions  at  4  A.  M.:  barometer 
30.19,  steady;  wind  light  northwest;  weather 
fair  for  Lisbon  flight;  is  generally  fair,  with  light 
northwest  winds  at  the  west  end,  gradually  be- 
coming westerly  and  southwesterly  toward  the 
middle  on  to  Lisbon;  velocities  are  between  10 
and  25  miles,  both  at  the  surface  and  at  1,000 
feet." 

Received  at  7.19  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Jack- 
son: 

"NC-4  WH'  not  leave  to-day;  one  engine  not 
functioning  properly.  (4.30,  Washington  time.)" 

MAY  22,  1919 

"NC-4  W'H  not  leave  to-day.  Seas  too  rough 
for  start." 

"W7ind  thirty  miles  south-southwest,  cloudy; 
visibility  good;  sea  rather  rough;  continuing 
strong  southwest  winds  and  cloudy  sky  Thurs- 
day; disturbance  continues  its  eastward  or 
northeastward  course  and  may  remove  its 
influence  from  this  district  to-night." 

MAY  23,  1919 

"Barometer  30.12  inches,  and  unsteady. 
Winds  to  southwest,  twenty-six  miles.  Sea 
rough.  No  indication  that  weather  will  become 
settled  in  next  six  to  eight  hours,  but  will 
probably  become  much  better  by  Saturday 


86 


The  Flight  Across  the  Atlantic 


Photo,  International  Film  Service 

SECRETARY   DANIELS   CONGRATULATING   LIEUT.    COMMANDER   A.    C.    READ,   U.  S.  N.,  ON   TRANS- ATLANTIC   FLIGHT 

Secretary  of  the  Navy  Daniels  received  the  Navy's  Trans-Atlantic  flyers  at  the  Navy  Department  in  Washington,  June  30,  1919.      In  the  group  from 

left  to  right  —  Secretary  Daniels;  Lieut.  Commander  P.  N.  L.  Bellinger,  U.  S.  N.,  of  the  NC-i;    Lieut.  Commander  A.  C.  Read,  U.  S.  N., 

of  the  NC-4;  Commander  John  H.  Towers,  U.  S.  N.,  of  the  NC-3  ;  and  Asst.  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Franklin  D.  Roosevelt. 


morning.      Southwest  winds  twenty  to  thirty 
miles,  and  probable  wind  squalls  to-day." 

MAY  27,  1919 

Received  at  8.20  A.  M.: 

"NC-4  1^  Ponta  Delgada  for  Lisbon  at  10.18 
G.  M.  T.  (6.18  A.  M.  New  York  time),  to-day. 
Sent  at  10.527  (7.50  A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  8.58  A.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  i  at  11.13 
G.  M.  T.  (7.13  A.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent 
at  10.227  (7.20  A.  M.  New  York  time).— 
(Signed).  JACKSON." 

Received  at  9.01  A.  M.: 

"Weather  report,  8  A.  M.:  Flying  conditions 
from  Ponta  Delgada  to  Lisbon  very  good.  To- 
day fair  weather  and  moderate  to  fresh  south- 


westerly winds  at  flying  altitude  prevail  over 
the  entire  course,  with  the  barometer  rising 
slowly.  Weather  clearing  and  wind  nearly  west. 
Favorable  flying  conditions  should  continue 
over  Wednesday.  Sent  at  08.427  (5.40  New 
York  time). — (Signed)  JACKSON." 

Received  at  9.10  A.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  2  at  11.38 
G.  M.  T.  (7.38  A.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent  at 
10.4927  (7.49  New  York  time).  —  (Signed) 
JACKSON." 

Received  at  10.10  A.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  4  at  12.54 
G.  M.  T.  (8.54  A.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent 
at  12.027  (9  A.  M.  New  York  time). —  (Signed) 
JACKSON." 


The  Flight  Across  the --Atlantic:;; 


Received  at  11.05  A-  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  5  at  13.35 
G.  M.  T.  (9.35  A.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent 
at  12.527  (9.50  A.M.  New  York  time). — (Signed) 
JACKSON." 

Received  at  11.07  A.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  6  at  1400  G. 
M.  T.  (10.05  A.  M-  New  York  time)-  Sent  at 
13.027  (10.00  A.  M.  New  York  time). — (Signed) 
JACKSON." 

Received  at  12.15  P.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  7  at  14.40  G. 
M.  T.  (10.40  A.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent  at 
13.527  (10.52  A.  M.  New  York  time). — (Signed) 
JACKSON." 

Received  at  12.16  P.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  8  at  15.16  G. 
M.  T.  (11.16  A.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent  at 
14.227  (11.22  A.  M.  New  York  time). — (Signed) 
JACKSON." 

Received  at  1.08  P.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  9  at  1 6.18  G. 
M.  T.  (12.18  P.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent  at 
15.227  (12.22  P.  M.  New  York  time). — (Signed) 
JACKSON." 

Received  at  2.33  P.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  ll  at  17.106. 
M.  T.  (i.io  P.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent  at 
16.327  (1.30  P.  M.  New  York  time). — (Signed) 
JACKSON" 

Received  at  3.57  P.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  12  at  18.506. 
M.  T.  (2.05  P.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent  at 
17.227  (2.20  P.  M.  New  York  time). — (Signed) 
JACKSON." 

Received  at  4.28  P.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  13  at  18.38  G. 
M.  T.  (2.38  P.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent  at 
18.027  (3  P.  M.  New  York  time). — (Signed) 
JACKSON." 

Received  at  4.46  P.  M.: 

"NC-4  passed  Station  Ship  No.  14  at  19.16  G. 
M.  T.  (3.16  P.  M.  New  York  time).  Sent  at 
18.327  (3.30  P.  M.  New  York  time). — (Signed) 
JACKSON." 

Received  at  8.09  P.  M.  from  the  commander 
of  the  United  States  naval  forces  in  France: 

"NC-4  arrived  at  Lisbon  at  20.02  G.  M.  T. 
(4.02  P.  M.  New  York  time).— (Signed)  HAL- 
STEAD." 


MAY  30,  1919 

Received  at  12.58  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

"NC-4  expects  to  leave  Lisbon  for  Plymouth 
at  06.00  G.  M.  T.  (2  A.  M.' Washington  time) 
Friday." 

Received  at  4.5^  A.  M.  from  Lisbon: 

"NC-4  l6^  Lisbon  for  Plymouth  at  05.24  G. 
M.  T.  (1.24  A.  M.  New  York  time).— (Signed) 

CUMMINGS." 

Received  at  5.30  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

"NC-4  leaves  Lisbon  for  Plymouth,  May  30, 
05.00  G.  M.  T.  (i  A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  7.05  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

"NC-4  ^ft  Lisbon  for  Plymouth  at  02.30  G. 
M.  T.  (time  probably  05.230  G.  M.^T.  or  1.24 
New  York  time)." 

Received  at  7.07  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

Rush  following  from  "U.  S.  S.  Aroostook": 

"NC-4  passed  Station  A,  but  Rathburn  has 
not  sighted  yet;  sea  smooth,  08.130  G.  M.  T. 
(4.10  A.  M.  New  York  time) — (Signed)  KNAPP." 

(This  message  was  filed  at  09.430  G.  M.  T. 
or  5.40  A.  M.  Washington  time). 

Received  at  10.42  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

"Rush,  double  priority,  for  'Rochester.'  Fol- 
lowing intercepted  from  'U.  S.  S.  Harding'  to 
'U.  S.  S.  Woolsey' :  '  NC-4  at;  Mondego  River. 
Must  wait  high  tide.  Seaplane  O.  K.  Cannot 
make  Plymouth  to-night.  Request  destroyers 
keep  station.  What  is  best  port  to  north  to 
land  seaplane  within  300  miles  ?  Request  report 
to  Comfran  (Commander  U.  S.  Naval  Forces 
in  France)  and  Plymouth' — (Signed)  READ." 

Received  at  10.49  A-  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

"Following  intercepted  from  'Rathburn'  to 
'Woolsey':  'Have  not  sighted  NC-4.  Am 
searching  to  southward  of  position  B.  08.30 
G.  M.  T.  (4.30  A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  10.50  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

"Rush  following  from  'U.  S.  S.  George  Wash- 
ington'. Following  message  intercepted  from 
'Woolsey'  to  'Tarbell  to  'Yarnell'  (destroy- 
ers): 'Maintain  stations.  NC-4  on  ner  waY 
09.430  G.  M.  T.  (5.40  A.  M.  New  York  time).' ; 

Received  at  3.05  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 


88 


Across  the  Atlantic 


"NC-4  landed  Mondego  River,  all  well.  Will 
proceed  at  high  tide  to  arrive  probably  Vigo  or 
Ferrol  to-night,  and  proceed  on  to  Plymouth 
to-morrow,  weather  permitting.  12.330  G.  M. 
T.  (8.30  A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  3.15  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

"Rush.  Double  priority.  Following  inter- 
cepted by  'George  Washington'  intercepted 
from  'Rochester'  to  'Stockton':  'Rush.  NC-4 
at  Mondego  River,  but  will  continue  flight  to- 
morrow. Remain  on  station  19.'  12.230  G. 
M.  T.  (8.20  A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  3. 41  P.  M.  from "Dorsey,"  Lisbon: 

"From  'Shawmut':  'NC-4  made  forced 
landing  in  Mondego  River.  Undamaged.  Can- 
not make  Plymouth  to-day.  Make  Vigo  Bay. 
12.530  G.  M.  T.  (8.50  A.  M.  New  York  time) 
—(Signed)  CUMMINGS'." 

This  message  was  sent  by  "Dorsey"  at  14.25.30 
G.  M.  T.,  or  10.25  A.  M.  New  York  time. 

Received  at  5.38  P.  M.  from  "Dorsey"  at 
Lisbon: 

"NC-4  left  Figueira  for  Ferrol  at  1.28  G.  M. 
T.  (9.28  A.  M.  New  York  time)."  This  message 
was  sent  at  16.0830  G.  M.  T.  (12.08  New  York 
time). 

Received  4.35  P.  M.,  from  commander  of 
destroyer  "Force,"  at  Plymouth: 

"NC-4  landed  Mondego  River.  All  well.  Will 
proceed  at  high  tide,  to  arrive  probably  at  Vigo 
or  Ferrol  to-night  and  proceed  on  to  Plymouth 
to-morrow,  weather  permitting.  28.30  G.  M.  T. 
(8.30  N.  Y.  time)." 

Received  at  7.45  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

"Following  radio  relayed  to  'Gridley,'  from 
commander  destroyer  'Force,'  'Stockton'  to 
'Shawmut,' via 'Harding/'Gridley' or 'Mathean': 
'NC-4  landed  in  Mondego  River,  and  will 
probably  proceed  to-day  to  Vigo  or  Ferrol. 
Proceed  to  port  NC-4  arrives  at  and  assist. 
12.330  G.  M.  T.  (8.30  A.  M.  New  York  time)'." 

Received  at  8.00  P.  M.,  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

"Following  radio  relayed  from  commander 
destroyer  'Force':  'NC-4  landed  for  to-day, 
but  will  continue  flight  to-morrow.  'Arkansas' 
remain  on  station.  12.330  G.  M.  T.  (8.30  New 
York  time)'." 

The  latter  message  was  sent  by  Admiral 
Knapp  at  15.25  G.  M.  T.,  or  1.25  P.  M.  New 
York  time. 


The  following  radio  received,  origin  not 
known:  "NC-4  arrived  Ferrol  16.45  G.  M.  T. 
(12.45  Washington  time).  'Harding'  and  'Tar- 
bell  '  standing  by  to  render  assistance  '  Woolsey.' 
Will  detail  destroyer  to  relieve  'Harding'  on 
Station  i.  17.030  G.  M.  T.  (i.oo  P.  M.  New 
York  time)."  Despatch  was  filed  by  Admiral 
Knapp  at  19.130  G.  M.  T.  or  3.00  P.  M.  New 
York  time. 

MAY  31,  1919 

Received  at  1.21  A.  M.  from  Plymouth: 
"NC-4  left  Lisbon  06.23  G-  M-  T-  (2-23  A-  M- 
New  York  time),  May  30,  and  landed  Mondego 
River,  getting  under  way  later,  and  proceeding 
to  Ferrol,  where  it  landed  at  16.45  G.  M.  T. 
(12.45  New  York  time).  Destroyers  standing 
by.  NC-4  W'H  proceed  Plymouth  to-morrow,  if 
weather  permits." 

Received  at  6.50  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp 
at  London: 

"From  the  'Harding':    'U.  S.  S.  Gridley'  to 
'LJ.  S.  S.  Rochester':    'NC-4  expects  to   leave 
Ferrol  for  Plymouth  at  6  A.  M.  to-morrow. '- 
(Signed)  READ,  20330." 

Received  at  7.22  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp: 
"NC-4  left  Ferrol  at  06.27  G.  M.  T.  (2.27 
A.  M.  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  8.11  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp: 

"Following  received  from   'U.  S.  S.  George 

Washington':       'From    'U.    S.    S.    Stockton': 

NC-4  passed  Station  2  at  07.43  G.  M.  T.  (3.43 

New  York  time)'." 

Received  at  9.24  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp: 
"NC-4  passed  Station  4  at  0906,  G.  M.  T. 
(5.06  New  York  time)." 

Received  at  9.^0  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp: 
"NC-4    arrived    at    Plymouth    at     14.26.31 
English  civil  time,  or  9.26  A.  M.  New  York 
time." 

Received  at  11.36  A.M.  from  Admiral  Knapp: 
"NC-4  probably  passed  Station  5  at  10.05." 
Received  at  1 1 .56  A.  M.  from  Admiral  Knapp: 
"NC-4  passed  Mengam  at  12.13,  l°cal  time." 
Received  at  3.15  P.  M.  from  Admiral  Plun- 
kett,    commander   of  destroyer    force    at    Ply- 
mouth: 

"NC-4  arrived  at  Plymouth  13.24  G.  M.  T. 
(9.24  A.  M.  New  York  time),  in  perfect  condi- 
tion. Joint  mission  of  seaplane  division  and 
destroyer  force  accomplished.  Regret  loss  of 
NC-i  and  damage  to  NC-J.  Nevertheless,  in- 
formation of  utmost  value  gained  thereby.  Has 
Department  any  further  instructions?" 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped 


OCT28   1947 


MAY  1  0  1961 


REC'D  LD 

MAYS    1962 


LD21-100m-12,'46(A2012816)4120 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


